There Are Many Paths To Tread
by Gyromice89
Summary: A seemingly ordinary, but one who had to deal with much disappointment and heart-break in her life, one young woman finds herself deserted on an island void of life until she is confronted by a man who completely baffles her with his words and actions... AUTHOR NOTE: STORY HAS BEEN PUT ON HOLD FOR AN UNDETERMINED TIME!
1. Chapter 1

**_Chapter 1 PROLOGUE_**

 ** _Disclaimer: The movie 'Moana' is Copyrighted by Walt Disney Animation Studios (released by Walt Disney Pictures), directed by Ron Clements and John Musker; co-directed by Don Hall and Chris Williams._**

 ** _There are some elements to this chapter which I took from' Lord of the Rings (the movie) which are copyrighted by the director Peter Jackson and the book Author J.R.R. Tolkien._**

 ** _I only claim copyright to the characters I created and some of the elements of the story which I created myself._**

 ** _Summary: A young woman who had to deal with much disappointment and heartbreak in her life finds herself deserted on a seemingly deserted island until she is confronted by a man that completely baffles her with his words and actions. He couldn't really be a demigod now, could he? There was no such thing as real gods. Or was she the one mistaken?_**

 **...**

 _'' The world is changed. I feel it in the water.''_

The fair being of the North stopped and crouched on the edge of a pond with yellow and white water lilies. She fondly ran her palm over the cool water.

 _'' I feel it in the earth.''_

She stood up and walked further into the clutch of trees that people of this land called the 'Hiisi'. A sacred place where humans gathered for prayers, healing, and burials.

A sacred part of the woods isolated from regular village life. A place where no hoe was used to dig into the earth. No place where cattle were brought to graze. No place where humans came to cut down trees.

It was a place where humans only came to bring tribute to the gods; laying offerings of food, coins, and jewelry. And decorating the tree branches with leather strings.

'' I smell it in the air.''

But now the 'Hiisi' sung with loneliness.

The trees, the plants were all mourning the loss of a human company that had become sparse of late.

'' Much that once was,'' she spoke out loud to the sad hums of the living wonders of nature,'' is lost. And none now live to remember it.''

She stroked the leaves of a low hanging branch as they sung out their feelings of loneliness.

A fiercer wind suddenly blew by ruffling plants, tree branches, and their leaves. A few Ti-leaves were being buffeted by the winds coming far, far away from where the oceans were warm; from the other side of the world. The wind swirling around the deity even held a slight whiff of saltiness from the seas.

'' Te Fiti,'' the deity murmured as she reached out to grab one of the whispering Ti-leaves into her palm,'' Mother Island and Life Giver; my friend through all these long years, it has been too long since your heart was stolen.

The deity turned to look in the direction where she knew the ocean was several miles away.

''But now it has begun; the other gods have finally chosen a second 'champion' to sail across the sea and restore you to life,'' she said softly and closed her eyes and concentrated on the tingling, lingering spark that only came when the object had come in contact with a living being.

The small splash of blood on the leaf gave off a stronger spark of feeling, and what it revealed was enough to have the fair goddess utter a gasp and grip the leaf tighter.

 ***** The Vision**

The day had begun so well for the young woman wanting to sail all the way from the New Zealand coast of Wanaka, to the coast of Helsinki in Finland.

She'd been braving the choppy waters and small storms for months to reach her destination. But so far her days had gone by without any major incidents.

But on the day she was sailing the waters between Iceland, Norway and the United Kingdom a ghastly storm suddenly rolled in.

The waters became treacherous, the waves like mountains and the wind was howling like a starving pack of wolves going for the kill.

The woman's hands were drawing blood from her having to use extra force to keep the boat on course.

But then the stuff of nightmares, the worst case scenario happened.

The flashes of lightning, the sounds of thunder were beginning to happen in one place. The currents of the water turning spiral in their motion. The woman quickly crouched to feel the currents in the water and paled.

The circling motion of the water was forming a perfect, monstrous maelstrom of about fifty meters wide was right there in her path.

Terrified the young woman tried to save herself and the boat from a deathly catastrophy but the pull of the maelstrom was holding her in a grip of certain death.

''NO, OH NO!'' She screamed, wide-eyed in panic as the boat began to enter the needle-of the maelstrom.

The strength and the howling winds weren't at her side and she was drawn deeper and deeper into the eye of the forming vortex.

''No, this is it for me! WHY IS THIS HAPPENING?! WHERE DID THE STORM COME FROM?! IT WAS SUPPOSED TO BE CLEAR SKIES! '' she shrieked into the howling winds.

Her fearful, long drawn out yell continued wordlessly as the boat seemed to be hanging upon the interior surface of a perfect, wide funnel leading to the depths of the abyss.

The rapidly circling water stayed the boat on an almost even keel, the deck laying in a plane parallel with that of the water. But this latter sloped at an angle of more than forty-five degrees so that it seemed to be lying upon its beam-ends.

The woman's voice echoed around the area unheard by others as the wind howled and the thunder and lightning lashed a symphony in the skies above.

But if there had been anyone around to hear they would have heard her scream that what was happening wasn't natural, that whatever had brought up this storm had to have done it with magic.

Seconds ticked by, but eventually, the boat and its passenger were sucked into the abyss of water, never to be found by the Coast Guards, never to be seen by her relatives waiting to bid her welcome at the city of Helsinki, or the family waiting back in Wanaka.

...

The skies had turned clear once more, the sun was up and the air filled with the sound of singing Frigatebirds in the warm, windy currents.

The young woman sprawled on the sands of the island uttered a quiet moan of discomfort as the sounds shook her awake from her unconscious state. Groaning quietly, she slowly raised herself up from the sand and looked around at the beach.

There was barely anything on the island from what she could see. Just bare rock and sand all around; no signs of trees, plants, grass or animals anywhere.

And when she turned her attention back to the boat she saw something that made her heart sink to her knees; the hull of the boat was in tatters, the bottom of it had a gaping gash to almost the entire length of the hull.

'' Hemmetin hemmetti!'' she cursed out in Finnish and scrambled to her knees.'' How could that storm have come out of nowhere? There were clear skies above that day; this shouldn't have happened. And how am I even alive after being almost stuck at the edge of the world?''

She raised a palm to her forehead as she shook slightly in emotional distress.

STOMP, STOMP

The woman jumped violently at the sound of heavy footsteps coming her way. Warily, she looked down to see a pair of large feet halting only a few feet from where she sat.

Slowly, she then raised her head up.

'' W-who a-are you?'' the woman asked with nervousness making her voice waver as she looked up at the very muscular man with long curly hair, brown eyes, strong chin and tattooed body.

And she meant tattooed, for almost every inch of him was covered in those things.

'' HAH! It really sounded like you didn't realize who I am, which is impossible as everyone knows who I am. I am the savior of humankind, the defeater of Monsters, the demigod of the Wind and Sea. I am Maui.'' the figure crowed out, puffing his chest up proudly.

The woman could only gape at the man in disbelief, her expression clearly showing that she hadn't expected to have come face to face with a Polynesian deity.

'' Maui? That Maui whom is supposed to be the deity in Polynesian countries? The person I've never even seen in the flesh?'' the young woman exclaimed incredulously, frowning.

She then shook her head and laughed long and hard, almost hysterically. Considering her 'brush with death' with the maelstrom it was an appropriate reaction.

'' My name is Maija Haeata Morgan. But I'm not about to stand here and listen to you brag about something that you haven't truthfully accomplished. There is no such thing as real deities.'' she finally said to the man's stumped form with a haughty air to her voice.

She didn't agree with such jokes when her life was pushed into such disarray. Her boat was in shambles and now this buffoon was trying to convince her that he was a god.

And then the person she'd deemed a total buffoon gave Maija the surprise of her life when he easily lifted the boat with one arm, gave her a smug expression and proceeded to carry it towards the water even as the owner stayed rooted to the spot with wide-eyed wonder and shock at the unexpected display of inhuman strength.

She gaped like a fish on dry land as the man, no, a deity carried the boat towards the shoreline and set it down in the gently swaying water.

'' What…? Wait just a moment!'' Maija shrieked out, scrambling to her feet and stomping in the direction of the water-line with an outraged expression on her face.

It didn't matter that the boat was busted, the guy was still stealing it from right under her nose.

Maui threw the woman a jaunty wave and a smirk before jumping onto the deck of the boat.

Blub, blub, blub, blurrppsss…

It was the young woman's turn to smirk in amusement as she watched her boat fill up with water before sinking into the waters.

Served him right.

After a moment of just bubbles rising to the surface the deity popped into view with a huge scowl on his face and proceeded to swim back to shore.

He then stomped away from the water, holding on to the boat's mooring line.

Maija watched with relief as Maui towed the boat back onto the sands. Thanks to the locked up floor pantry and cupboards, all her belongings were still on that boat. She would have vowed the loss of them.

Maui stomped his way past her without a word of explanation for his actions.

'' Hey wait! WAIT!'' Maija exclaimed as she followed the deity across the beach and towards a gaping cave opening.

Maui just quickened his steps until he was almost running and the woman was hard-pressed to keep up with his strides.

'' Hey, come on now, let's talk for a minute,'' Maija said in exasperation but before she could follow the deity into the cave a massive boulder was smoothly slid into place to block her path.

Maija uttered a grunt as she attempted to push the boulder aside, but the damn thing wouldn't budge even a bit.

Cursing out loud, Maija slapped the hard surface and immediately winced at the pain that cut across the abused limb.

She glared darkly at the boulder before she whirled around and stomped back towards her wrecked boat.

 **...End of Vision**

'' Second 'champion', indeed. To think its 'her' descendant from far, far in the future that the gods of the warmer lands chose to accompany the young Islander.''

The deity paused for a moment to smell the scents surrounding the 'Hiisi'. It calmed her down from the still lingering shock of what she'd sensed from having touched the Ti-leaves.

'' This young woman has gone through so much already and its only about to get tougher. Hopefully this Maui, demigod of the Wind and Sea, condemned to a millennia of solitude, will accept her presence and not leave her to adjust to a changed life on her lonesome.'' the deity thought, feeling sympathetic to the both of them despite knowing that Maui was the cause of her dear friend's unfortunate fate.

'' And that you, Maui, will own up to your rash actions, ''she sighed out loud,'' and do whatever is in your power to put things to right once more.''

 _ **End of Chapter 1 Prologue**_

...

 _ **Author Notes: Yeah, according to physics the hole in the center of a whirlpool is not the result of water moving downward, but of water moving outward.**_

 _ **But for the sake of the story lets have magic bring forth a monstrous downward going spiraling maelstrom.**_


	2. Chapter 2

_**Chapter 2**_

 _ **Disclaimer: The movie 'Moana' is Copyrighted by Walt Disney Animation Studios (released by Walt Disney Pictures), directed by Ron Clements and John Musker; co-directed by Don Hall and Chris Williams.**_

 _ **I only claim copyright to the characters I created and some of the elements of the story which I created myself.**_

 _ **Summary: A young woman who had to deal with much disappointment and heartbreak in her life find herself deserted on a seemingly deserted island until she is confronted by a man that completely baffles her with his words and actions. He couldn't really be a demigod now, could he? There was no such thing as real gods. Or was she the one mistaken?**_

…

 **In the beginning, there was only an ocean.**

A tapestry like image of an open ocean and islands was splayed out before my eyes as I hovered in the air in a ghostly, see-through body.

The ocean was in motion but not in the way normal water would continuously move.

Then an image of a large green lady, no she must have been a deity, appeared on an island in the middle of the tapestry.

 **Until a 'Mother Island' emerged.**

 **Te Fiti.**

She waved her arms, creating a flurry of green sparkling energy that fell over the surrounding islands. Her eyes were closed; her expression one of sereneness and tranquillity.

 **Her heart had the greatest power ever known.**

 **It could create life itself.**

 **And Te Fiti shared it with the world.**

The green goddess slowly settled back down to sleep, her body practically morphing into a part of the island.

The glowing swirl on her chest continued to pulse with energy.

 **But in time, some began to seek**

 **Te Fiti's heart.**

Monsters appeared from the waves; the first being a humungous crab who was snapping its claws ferociously.

Then a monstrous eel with a long, coiled, writhing body and lashing tongue rose from the ocean.

 **They believed if they could possess it, the great power of creation would be theirs.**

A boat appeared from the corner of the tapestry and a man standing on the deck suddenly transformed into a giant hawk that took flight across the ocean towards the lush green island where the 'Green goddess' slumbered peacefully.

As I watched his flight I noticed that the landscape had suddenly turned from the portrait like image to a normal landscape.

And the painted hawk had turned into a very real looking creature.

 **And one day...**

 **The most daring of them all...**

 **Voyaged across the vast ocean to take it.**

As the bird reached the canopy it changed into a large iguana-like lizard that seemed to drop-glide towards the tree-line below.

After it had nimbly landed it started stealthily slithering across the long, wide tree branch towards a wall of stone with a teeny tiny opening.

 **He was a Demigod of the Wind and Sea**

 **He was a warrior ...**

 **A trickster.**

 **A shapeshifter who could change form with the power of his magical fish hook.**

ZAP

A lime green and blue beetle scuttled towards the opening and squeezed through the tiny opening that was partially covered in vegetation.

ZAP

The small bug transformed into the burly demigod.

 **And his name was Maui.**

His face was set in a determined frown as he swirled the handle of his hook in his palm before making for the stone wall where the heart of Te Fiti was glowing in a faint light sphere.

Easing the sharp tip of the hook into the crevice beside the heart he eased the green stone free off the wall. It plopped into his hand with a light tingling sound and the demigod raised it to the level of his eyes with a triumphant grin on his lips.

CRACK,CRACK,CRACK

The sound of stone crackling and popping made Maui snap his head up to look around at the wall of stone as it began to crumble around him.

Not wasting another moment he took off running, charging towards the still existing opening in the wall in the form of the tiny beetle.

He squeezed through the opening and the vegetation.

 **But without her heart.**

 **Te Fiti began to crumble.**

But even as Maui got out something exploded behind him like a volcano blowing its top. Everything around him was crumbling into black dust as he sprinted towards the coastline.

 **Giving birth to a terrible darkness.**

Maui jumped over a rise in the earth and smashed his hook against a falling boulder in his path; it split in half and enabled him to continue on his way towards the cliffside as fast as he possibly could run even as the billowing cloud of the eruption stayed hot on his heels.

It was like a smouldering- hot pyroclastic flow nipping at his ankles.

Maui leapt off the cliff just in time, turning into the form of the giant hawk and swooping across the sky towards a small boat bobbing on the surface of the water; where he'd left it earlier.

He landed heavily on the gunwale and glanced down at the green stone heart with a triumphant laugh.

He then quickly unfurled the sail, making the boat jump into motion.

 **Maui tried to escape.**

 **But was confronted by another, who sought the heart.**

BANG

Another violent eruption rents the air and huge plumes of volcanic ash billowed up into the atmosphere. Fire burst forth from whatever unseen, opened vent.

As a screech split the air, mixing with the sudden burst of thunder and lightning Maui looked up sharply with his brows furrowed.

A towering figure of Earth, Fire, and Lava burst out of the opened vent in a flurry of billowing volcanic smoke.

 **Te Ka, a demon born of Earth and Fire.**

Maui's hook began to glow a bright luminescent blue colour as he tightened his grip on the handle.

The carvings strewn on the surface of the magical artefact became more noticeable as the demigod called upon its power.

Then, with a loud battle cry, he launched himself off the boat and transformed back into the hawk form.

He swooped straight towards the towering mountain-sized demon and formed back into his demigod form with his hook raised for the crushing blow he was ready to deal upon his opponent.

But alas, the creature born of Earth, Fire, and Lava had seen his attack coming and was ready to defend itself; it flung its lava covered fist at Maui's approaching form.

BANGGGGG, EEEEEE….

An immensely bright, blue- red light split the air and the noise was like a magnified thunder-clap as the two opponents collided and Maui was immediately struck from the sky by the immense strength of his opponents counter-attack.

The likely very wounded demigod landed somewhere I couldn't see from where I was hovering in my ghostly body.

And his magical fish hook and the heart of Te Fiti were lost to the sea.

The magical fish-hook splashed into the sea along with the green stone heart. Both were still glowing with luminescent light as they sunk under the surface and dragged in separate directions by the strong ocean currents.

There, somewhere in the depths of the ocean, the magical artefact and the still faintly glowing, jade green coloured heart of the Mother Island and Goddess of Life, finally struck the sea floor.

And there, down in the dark depths the monsters now knew that somewhere that very precious stone was in for the taking, and whoever found it first would have the ability to use the power of creation.

And so the long search began for those who willingly and ardently sought that power.

But mercifully for those innocent humans living their everyday lives in the created world, TeFiti's heart remained unfound.

It remained untainted by those with unpure hearts and tainted souls; down somewhere at the bottom of the ocean floor where it had been plunged after being forced from Maui's hand.

 **Where even now, a thousand years later**

 **Te Ka and the demons of the deep** **still** **hunt for the heart.**

 **Hiding in the darkness that will continue to spread...**

 **Chasing away our fish.**

 **Draining the life from one island** **after island.**

 **Until every one of us.**

 **Is devoured by the bloodthirsty jaws**

 **OF INESCAPABLE DEATH!**

…

That final sentence seemed to break the disturbing dream holding a tall, tanned skinned human woman hostage as she'd slept. Until now she had been squirming and flailing around in her hammock, inside a cave in the middle of a drab little island stripped of any sort of vegetation.

Now she was suddenly tossed into the waking world with a sharp gasp.

She seemed a shade paler when she sat up in her hammock and her bright hazel coloured eyes were wide and staring.

Unfortunately, her movements had been made clumsy by her sleep addled brain and the poor woman found herself tumbling unceremoniously towards the hard ground of the sun-lighted cave interior.

...

 **End of Chapter 2**

 **Author Note: I've decided to write this story mostly from my own character's point of view to make it (at least to me) more sensible and interesting.**


	3. Chapter 3

**_Chapter 3_**

 ** _Disclaimer: The movie, 'Moana', is copyrighted by Walt Disney Animation Studio. It was directed by Ron Clements and John Musker and the co-directors were Don Hall and Chris William. It was released by Walt Disney Pictures in 2017._**

 ** _I only claim copyright to the characters, and some of the elements of the story, that are of my own creation._**

 ** _Summary: A young woman, seemingly ordinary, is deserted on an island that is void of life but is then confronted by a man who completely baffles her with his words and actions. He couldn't really be a demigod now, could he? There was no such thing as real gods. Or was she the one mistaken? Could she trust in his friendship after all the heartbreak and disappointment in her life?_**

 ** _The soundtrack for Chapter 3:_**

 ** _(*1) You're welcome- Dwayne Johnson_**

 ** _(*2) Battle of Wills- Mark Mancina_**

 **...**

 **Chapter 3**

Thump! Crack!

'' OW!'' I exclaimed as I landed unceremoniously on the hard ground.

After a moment of lingering, I gingerly sat up my sleeping bag slipping off my shoulders as I reached up to rub the side of my jaw.

'' I really hate seeing that vision-dream. It has been bothering me every night for the past month and I'm beginning to remember every detail by heart,'' I thought inwardly, wincing at the pain in my jaw.

''So have you had enough of beauty sleep, Maija?'' an obnoxiously cheery voice rang out from somewhere beside me.

I turned to look up into the face of the said demigod I'd just been having a vision-dream about. Well, to be truthful it had been more of a nightmare.

I flicked away the hand going for my hair to ruffle it. I already had terrible bed-hair from having been squirming around in my hammock and I certainly didn't want to get it even more knotted.

Seriously, even after spending an entire twelve months with the guy, the demigod was still a thorn in the backside.

At least Mini-Maui was the constant presence in kicking his obnoxiousness down a few pegs.

My back gave a popping sound as I scrambled to my feet and started untying my hammock from the rocks.

Once I'd untied the hammock, I rolled it into a small bundle that I tied with a long strip of my collection of extra rope before stuffing it into my backpack.

I tried hard to ignore Maui's amused laughter as I went on with my morning arrangements.

But eventually, his voice became too much for me to endure.

'' You know, you shouldn't be laughing at me, Maui; especially right after I'd had such a vivid dream of how you stole the heart of Te Fiti and got smote from the sky by Te Ka's flaming fist.

I smirked at the demigod without any mirth in my expression.

'' Then you lost your magical hook and the heart of Te Fiti. And then you ended up here, stuck until the end of time with me. A girl who doesn't have a clue as to how and why the gods decided to bring me here,'' I groused out between clenched teeth.

'' Are you done with the lecture, Maija?'' Maui asked me with a smile on his lips, but with a hint of warning in his expression.

'' Honestly, Maui, I can go on and on about the ridiculousness of being stuck on this puny little island. And we have a boat from the damned 20th century which we can't repair. But I won't because that would just make me a crazy raving person,'' I answered with a sarcastic smirk.

'' And you are also a right pain in the behind sometimes. But then again things could be a lot worse. I could still be stuck on this island on my lonesome.''' Maui answered with a genuine smile.

I stifled a wide smile at the demigod's words. It seemed that he did appreciate my presence on this island.

And to be honest with myself I would not have known what to do if I'd been stuck on this island on my own. Therefore his presence had been and was greatly appreciated.

I'd much rather be stuck on this island with this guy than be entirely alone. Considering the reality that I'd been flung into this world, or age, without any clear purpose or reason, putting up with Maui's antics was the lesser evil.

The boat I'd been sailing with had been ripped apart from the bottom and there was nothing on the island that I could have used to repair the tear in the hull.

So here we were, stuck together on the drab little island where everywhere you looked there was rocks, boulders, seaweed and sand.

It had been quite a forced chore to get to know each other at first, but in the end, it had been worth it.

Maui had the potential to be a kind person, but it was by his need to impress me with his posing.

He didn't have to pose, brag or prove his strength and prowess to me; for the stories and feats tattooed on his body spoke for themselves.

Not to mention, those tattoos had actually moved when Maui had wanted me to see the scenes of his stories, and not just hear them from his lips. And Mini-Maui was almost constantly jumping around in every direction on the demigod's body as he acted as a conscience to the demigod.

But Maui was also the kind of person who hadn't been in contact with another person for a thousand years. He had been lacking company capable of understanding him; therefore I couldn't really blame him for wanting to talk, or rather brag most days.

In turn, I had given him some background as to how I'd been like growing up as a small child; followed by some snippets of my early adulthood before I'd almost died on my sailing journey.

I recalled Maui being in a state of shock and disbelief over some of the information I'd in him of the 21st century, but how could I blame him for that either?

And while I could definitely believe in the stories tattooed on Maui's skin, I felt it was alright for him to not believe in everything I'd told him.

As for what was to become of us, I hoped that in the future our lives would take a turn for the better. I hoped that in this lifetime I would get off this island with Maui.

I was constantly haunted by the message in my dream vision, for it was the black, ashy plague that was draining the life out of every island in the had to find some way to stop it from happening, but how exactly? The only way it would be even remotely possible was for us to get our hands on the heart of Te Fiti.

And I needed to get off this island before I was to go completely stir crazy. Which was admittedly a less important reason to leave this place. I had to wonder how Maui had been able to stay sane for so long. Was it because he'd talked to the sential tattoo of himself?

I loved sailing, and for that reason, I'd braved the ocean for the long journey to Finland. I wanted to sail on a boat again.

I wanted to see what this world had in store for me because I had the feeling that I'd never see my parents again. There hadn't been any decipherable signs that there was a way back to the coast of Wanaka where my sailing journey had begun and had turned afoul in the end.

I turned to Maui with a sincere smile on my face.

'' I agree with you, Maui. I could have been stuck on an island on my own.''

The smile widened on Maui's lips.

'' I think, we should get off our laurels and go find some worms we can use for fishing,'' he replied, gesturing at my fishing-rod with an expectant look on his face.

I lifted it from where it had been leaning against the wall of the cave, my mind recalling the next day following my first meeting with Maui.

It had been the day when the demigod had discovered that while the boat I owned wasn't sea-worthy, I did have certain items that were of great use for the both of us.

The thought of devouring fresh fish from the ocean, while raw, had been something of great joy to the guy who had not been able to go fishing for a whole millennium.

I smiled, twirling the rod between my palms as I followed the tall, muscular demigod out of the cave entrance.

'' I discovered that food is a way to a man's heart on that day.'' I thought jokingly, hopping over several boulders on our way to the other side of the island.

I was greeted by my wrecked and partially stripped boat as we turned the corner. It lay there on a bed of rocks and sand.

My smile faltered momentarily until I noticed something else lying there.

I sucked in a sharp breath of exhilaration upon realising that I was looking at another boat; I could hardly believe my eyes.

Maui didn't waste time hurrying over to the vessel that lay abandoned on the sand. With ease, he lifted it up with just own arm.

'' Its a boat, Maija! The gods have granted me a boat!'' Maui exclaimed with a cheerful cry.

'' What do you mean by just you?'' I enquired.'' Don't you mean us, Maui, or do you intend to leave me alone on this island?

An unimpressed look crossed my face, but Maui only chuckled at my answer.

He opened his mouth to reply, but the sudden sound of a loudly cleared throat had him glance down.

He was greatly startled by the sight of a young curly-haired teenager staring up at him.

He screamed like a girl and instantly dropped the boat back onto the sand.

I howled with laughter and fell onto my back, clutching my fishing-rod with a death-grip.

'' Oh my god, that sure made my day, Maui. It serves you right for laughing at me,'' I finally managed to splutter out.

I watched, still giggling, as Maui lifted the boat a second time to catch a better sight of the teenager.

She cleared her throat, and Maui turned to face the girl who had somehow sneaked behind him without the guy noticing her movements.

The girl ducked quickly as her canoe came swinging at her head, following the movement of Maui turning to face her. She stared right back at him with determination.

I smiled at her spunk when I realized the teenager was holding the paddle in a way that greatly made it look like she was pointing a spear at the Demigod.

'' Maui, Shapeshifter, Demigod of the wind and Sea, I am Moana...,'' the girl begins to say with a very rehearsed air.

But Maui cut her off, saying: '' You forgot, Hero of men.''

'' Eh, w-what are you...?'' the teenager spluttered out.

I had to stifle another laugh at the sight of the absolutely dumbfounded expression on Moana's face as she gazed up at the demigod.

'' It's actually Maui, Shapeshifter, Demigod of the Wind and Sea, and Hero of Men. Sorry, I Interrupted you, Curly; let's begin from the top, now, you say 'Hero of Men'.''

Moana blinked for a moment in utter dumbfoundedness before eventually regaining her wit. She began to repeat her earlier sentence, but Maui once again interrupted her mid-speech.

'' Sorry, sorry, sorry, I forgot to add women; its men and women, you see?! I don't have a girl-guy thing, you see, for Maui is a hero to all; you are doing great, curly.''

He winked at the teenager with a pompous smirk on his lips.

'' W- what…? No, I came here to ... '' Moana stuttered out.

'' Yes, yes, yes, of course! Maui always has time for his fans.''

I could only sigh and shake my head at the banter that was going on in front of me. I watched as Maui gently dropped the boat onto the sand and snatched Moana's oar from her hands.

''And here's a bird to write with,'' Maui added as he stooped to grab a very thin, strange looking chicken that had been walking by his feet.

The poor animal squawked in indignation as Maui began to carve over the wood, using its beak as a pencil.

'' Here you go, Curly, I call this tweeting,'' Maui said as he handed the oar back to the flabbergasted girl. He then leaned against the canoe with a wide smirk on his face.

Moana suddenly glanced over at me in a way that looked like she was really noticing me standing there for the first time. She opened her mouth, most likely to inquire what I was doing on the island, but snapped it shut when her soft brown eyes trailed to the other boat which was lying half stripped and discarded on the sands.

I nodded at her wordlessly as Moana's eyes turned back to me with understanding and compassion.

Our moment was interrupted by the very inopportune comment from Maui who had been looking up at the clear blue sky.

''Well, Curly, are you totally dazzled by my presence or something? Well, can't blame you for being filled with amazement, as it's not every day you get the chance to meet your hero.''

That casually spoken sentence was, apparently, the last straw for Moana. She suddenly scowled and swung the oar forward to connect with the pompous demigod's stomach, before smacking the other end of the paddle against the sand in an upright position on the sand like it were a flagless- pole.

Maui uttered a gasp as the impact knocked the air out of his lungs and grabbed at the area of impact.

I struggled not to laugh when the teenager lunged forward to grab hold of the guy's ear.

'' You are not my hero! And I'm not here so you can sign my oar! I'm here because you stole the heart of Te Fiti; and you will board my boat, sail across the sea and put it back.'' Moana snapped as she tugged his head down to her level.

'' Yeah, well it almost sounds like you don't like me,'' Maui drawled out

He straightened without effort and ended up pulling Moana across the sand when she had been trying to reach for the discarded paddle.

I did giggle out loud when Maui lifted the stunned girl's feet off the ground. His large palm grasped the entirety of the islander's cranium with unbelievable gentility as he relocated her away from him.

'' Which is impossible, because I got stuck here for a thousand years for trying to get the heart as a gift for you, mortals; so you have the power to create life itself. Yes, so I believe you are trying to say is 'thank you','' Maui continued blandly, making a flourishing motion with his hands.

'' Thank you?!'' Moana deadpanned, looking utterly dumbed out over the demigod's ever puzzling manners.

'' You're welcome, Curly," Maui exclaimed with an annoyingly smug expression.

''But...no, I- I didn't...I wasn't...why would I ever thank you?'' Moana stuttered, slightly back-pedalling.

I had to shake my head in exasperation as, once again, Maui interrupted the teenager. His chuckling was truly beginning to get on my nerves.

 _ **(*1)**_

 _ **Ok, ok, I see what's happening here**_

 _ **You're face to face with greatness, and it's strange**_

 _ **You don't even know how you feel**_

 _ **It's adorable!**_

 _ **Well, it's nice to see that humans never change...**_

I quickly tuned Maui out the minute I heard the first few notes come out of his mouth. That dummy! He was actually making things worse by singing to the already confused girl.

This was like a repeat of what he had done to me the day after our first meeting, and I meant the incident when he had tried to steal my boat, only to discover that the bottom had a deep scar and wouldn't stay on the surface for long before sinking.

Shaking my head in exasperation, I turned my attention to the boat in which Moana had arrived on the island.

I started walking around it, inspecting the hull from every angle, before coming to a conclusion that even though this canoe had been caught in a storm, and looked rather old, it was entirely sea-worthy.

This boat would sail, and the proof lay in the fact that Moana had travelled on it from her home-island. I couldn't say the same for my poor, unfortunate boat.

I stepped on board and strode over to the strong wooden beam holding the sail together. I ran my fingertips over the stitching to feel the toughness of the fabric. I could also feel the roughness of the fabric.

I then walked to the front of the canoe and sat down on the gunwale. I traced a hand reverently over the beautiful carvings running along the entirety of the hull.

I closed my eyes, blocking the singing going on in the background as I tried to imagine how it would be to sail on one of these ancient boats before actually sailing on said vessel and found, much to my shock, that I was seeing a huge canoe-group sailing across the ocean.

The biggest of the canoe- boats were in the lead, and there were many people on the gunwale of the largest of ships, working together to steer them on course.

I gasped sharply, opening my eyes and blinking for a long moment until my vision cleared and I was staring out into the ocean once more. This had been another one of those visions I tended to have whenever I closed my eyes and touched an old artefact.

I'd never figured out why I kept seeing them and I'd told no one about these visions. I had even been hesitant to discuss the matter with my parents in fear of being seen as unstable.

And those fears had been amplified following my depression seven years ago. I'd come to believe that even if I had tried to explain that these visions had been part of my life since my teenage- years, my parents may have seen it as me having delusions. It would have lead to them insisting on me needing even more therapy sessions when I knew it hadn't been necessary.

I focused on the sky for a long moment, trying to calm my nerves before my mind was abruptly slammed back to earth by the sudden rocking of the canoe.

...(*2)

I yelped as the boat was lifted off the sands and lowered into the water.

Maui had come back from wherever he had taken Moana; but where exactly was the girl?

'' Maui, what have you done with Moana?'' I asked with a raised eyebrow, moving my palms to my hips as the demigod dropped the rooster onto the boat deck.

'' Oh, I just took her on a stroll around the island and then showed her our very safe, dry and homely cave,'' Maui answered while sprinkling a handful of nuts and seeds in front of the creature.

He shifted the chicken's head when the creature started tapping on the gunwale instead of the food.

'' Okay, this animal is officially verified as a complete nut-case.'' I thought sarcastically, watching the bird goofing-off.

'' In other words,'' I continued,'' you decided to mind-trick her with your song and trap her within that cave in the same way you used to trap me out of can't just leave her stranded on this thrice-cursed island.

'' Well I did it, it is done, so I did do that, Maija,'' Maui answered looking entirely unconcerned.

Even Mini Maui shook his head in disappointment at his much larger counterpart.

Maui ignored the both of us and focused on adjusting the ropes of the boat before sitting down with enough force to make the boat jump.

'' Don't look at me like that, it's a beautiful cave, she's gonna love it,'' Maui replied.

I couldn't believe my own stupidity at leaving those two to their own devices, but how could I have foreseen Maui having the nerve to be so callous to that poor teenager?!

'' You've sunk half your brain, Maui! She isn't a demigod who can go for a week without water, or eat next to nothing and still be healthy. So do you honestly hold no concern for her life?'' I raged at him with a withering glare on my face.

I shifted to the side to avoid the sail that Maui playfully moved to see whether he could catch me off guard and fling me into the ocean.

Then I ducked away from the path of another swing from the sail without breaking eye-contact with the demigod. I growled under my breath as the sail once again swung towards me, crouched quickly before coming back up with my rod swinging right at the guy's head.

SMACK

I couldn't lie that I'd held no satisfaction in seeing him grab his head with a pained yelp.

'' Seriously, Maui?! If you honestly feel you can just leave her here in good conscience I'll say you can forget about the 'hero of men and women' title because that's not you right now,'' I growled out even as I pulled my fishing rod away from Maui's reach.

Maui opened his mouth to retort but whatever he was going to say was drowned by the young, teenaged Islander high pitched fury filled shriek.

I looked up just in time to see Moana jumping from atop the cliff and soar through the air towards her boat, but she fell short of the landing.

SPLASH

I cringed when she made a great belly-slam into the water and sunk under the surface. That had to have been an extremely painful landing.

'' I could watch that performance all day,'' Maui commented as Moana surfaced and gasped for much-needed air.

'' Seriously, what is wrong with you today?'' I muttered, just as Maui flipped the wrist holding the mooring rope.

The wrist-movement unfurled the sail and the boat lurched forward when the wind caught onto the material.

'' And what do you think you are doing, now?! Moana, grab the fishing-line!''

I flung the fishing- rod forward, triggering the hook and line to sail through the air before dropping into the water with a faint splash. I watched the young girl quickly swim towards the thin line and grab it tightly with one hand.

I immediately began to reel the line back towards our boat which was quickly leaving the island behind.

'' This day can't possibly become any weirder. Now Moana's like a hooked shark on the end of my line.'' I thought, watching the poor girl swim towards the boat, which thankfully eased some of the water friction.

''I cannot believe you are actually doing that, Sweetheart! She isn't a mackerel to be reeled in,'' Maui howled out with tears of mirth in his eyes.

'' Or a mackerel on the end of my fishing line,'' I concluded with dry sarcasm as the demigod laughed himself silly.

'' I really can't stomach your witty comments right now, Maui. Help me with this, or I'll ask the sea to pull up a sea-monster to gobble you up,'' I said irritably after letting him laugh for a few more seconds.

'' Who is the one making bad jokes, now, eh?'' Maui laughed out.

'' Who said I was joking; hey, ocean, bring us a sea monster from the deep to get rid of this demigod! He's been absolutely unbearable all morning!'' I retorted as I yanked hard at the rod.

'' Hey, ocean, bring us a shark to gobble up our fisherman and her bait! At least then I'd be ridden from all annoyances,'' Maui hollered back.

'' I'm not the one with a dislocated brain today,'' I grunted out just as, much to my utter shock, the ocean actually responded by torpedoing a shocked Moana across the water and towards her boat.

The water had taken the form of a massive great- white shark with its mouth wide open.

'' Whoa, scratch out my earlier statement; this day definitely got weirder!'' I cried out, loudly, and began reeling back the line as fast as my hands could work.

SPLASH, SMACK

'' OUCH!'' I groaned out as the force of the descending seawater threw Moana at my chest. The both of us were immediately flung off the boat in a flurry of tangled limbs.

''Okay I didn't see that coming,'' Maui gasped out between a mouthful of seawater just as Moana and I breached the water. The ocean had actually given us both a nudge up to the surface.

'' How can you possibly miss a shark-shaped wall of water propelled at you full blast?'' I inquired with heavy sarcasm, which earned me a spray of seawater in the face.

I was left me coughing violently.

'' I don't think the ocean is very agreeable with either of your sarcasm,'' Moana said scoldingly with her hands on her hips.

'' Seriously, I was on your side of the argument the whole time and I've been trying to convince this big buffoon to turn the boat around ever since we set sail,'' I sputtered out before clearing my throat one last time.

'' You know, I'm starting to miss those days that you turn to your silent and brooding moments,'' Maui said blandly.

I stiffened in outrage at hearing that sentence come out his mouth but before I could so much as open my mouth to retort, Moana determinately stepped forward to face Maui.

'' I am Moana of Motunui, you will…, ''

Maui unexpectedly used the paddle to make the boat jump and this time I was thrown off the deck when Moana lost her footing and stumbled into me.

'' And as for the girl of Motunui, I wouldn't say no to a silent brooding moment from her, either,'' Maui exclaimed with a raised voice just as I resurfaced.

'' Oh, Maui, there were many moments on that island where I wished you had just kept your big mouth shut!'' I retorted with another glare as I tread water and coughed up seawater for the third time within a short time- frame.

Moana, much to my slight consternation, was given a lift to the boat deck by the blob of water while I was left treading water.

Moana cut in before the confrontation between Maui and I could escalate any further.

'' I am Moana of Motunui. This is my boat and you will board it, sail across the sea,'' she exclaimed but was immediately grabbed around the waist and thrown right over Maui's shoulder into the ocean.

'' I've just about had enough of hearing that same sentence repeated over and over,'' he grumbled out.

SPLASH

'' And she's back, once again.'' Maui uttered in utter exasperation.

The ocean had, indeed, deposited an entirely soaked and no doubt vexed, girl back onto the gunwale.

'' You might as well just accept that she is here to stay because the ocean is just gonna reel her right back onto the boat,'' I commented, swimming over to the outrigger side of the boat.

I grabbed hold of the wooden beams, noticing the defeated slump to Maui's shoulders before he turned his glare on me.

'' That is correct, and you, will travel across the sea and return this,''' Moana agreed, sending me an amused glance. She took something out from a shell-shaped necklace and turned her attention to Maui.

Not giving him time to retort, she shoved a faintly glowing green rock into his line of vision.

I gasped quietly at the sight of it; it was the same green stone that I'd seen in the vision-dream that had been bugging me for the past two weeks.

Maui eyed the stone for a split second, but instead of being receptive, he snatched the object and chucked it in the air.

Moana's shocked cry accompanied the rock's descent towards the water yards away from the boat where it landed and sunk into the depths of the ocean.

'' Have you completely lost it, Maui? Moana said to return the stone to Te Fiti, not chuck it into the ocean!'' I exclaimed as I heaved myself back onto the boat.

'' Trust me, sweetheart, the stone is cursed; the second I took it I was knocked out of the sky and I lost my hook. It's better to get rid of it than having it in our company,'' Maui answered with a charming smile on his face.

''I can't believe you! We have an all life affecting curse to get rid of and the only way to stop the plague is for you to restore the heart of Te Fiti!'' Moana screeched out in outrage.

Maui scoffed at her words, just before something whizzed through the air and passed perilously close to my face before bouncing off the demigod's forehead.

I struggled not to laugh as Maui fell backwards onto the boat deck by the force of the impact. The stone had been chucked back by the very sentient water, and it had done the deed with vengeance.

It seemed the ocean itself was losing its patience towards Maui's continues refusal to take responsibility for his actions one thousand years ago.

'' What is his problem?'' Moana gritted out to me when the demigod got up with a nonchalant demeanour.

'' That is it, I'm off this boat,'' Maui muttered before he dived headfirst into the ocean and began to swim away from from the shadow of the canoe.

'' Yeah, like you can get very far without a sail-boat,'' I thought as I shook my head at his futile efforts.

I turned to the girl who was looking at me earnestly.

'' Don't give up on the reason you actually came to his island. His resolve will eventually begin to crack if you continue pestering him,'' I sighed out and flicked my long braid back over my shoulder.

SPLASH

Maui was pushed back onto the boat deck by the very adamant ocean.

'' Hey, come on!'' Maui spluttered out before choking on a face-full of seawater.

Moana stomped over to the demigod with distaste in her expression.

'' Wiggle like a hooked fish, for all I care! You can't run away from restoring Te Fiti's heart, Maui! The plague came to be when you stole the heart. We have to stop it before it reaches all the islands in the world.''

'' Well I think that you should just give up this mission and sail homewards because that stone is a homing beacon of death,'' Maui replied.

He visibly cringed away from the stone that Moana was once again shoving towards him.

'' Are you afraid of this stone, Maui? It's the heart of the mother island so you should be more afraid of her wrath than whatever it might home us,'' she asked incredulously.

'' Quiet, you little fool! Anyone can hear you out here. You want to get us all killed, girl?'' Maui exclaimed with forced calmness.

'' Moana, I think you should listen to him for once. I just remembered that sound is amplified by the water,'' I gasped out in sudden realization, slapping a hand against my forehead for my forgetfulness.

'' What's gonna come for us except for maybe the sea-monsters you were so keen on getting to the surface?'' Moana retorted.

'' Honestly, why is she turning her frustration on me when all I'd been trying to fight her cause since we'd set sail?'' I thought in frustration, glowering down at the shorter teenager.

I opened my mouth to answer that monsters were a very real possibility when…

SWISH

I immediately swirled around to face the direction of the sound of something whistling through the air.

THUNK

My heartbeat quickened when a sharp, jagged spear barely missed Maui's leg and struck the wooden sail pole just inches from Hey Hey's head.

Our journey across the ocean had only just started, and already we were facing enemies bent on hampering our mission to restore Te Fiti to her former self.

 **End of Chapter 3**

 ** _…._**

 ** _Author Notes:_**

 ** _Yeah, I know this chapter is a massive time skip from where Maija's story first begun. But I'll be adding moments where she's thinking back to the past to give some background as to how she had dealt living on the island with Maui for an entire year_**


	4. Chapter 4

_**Chapter 4 The Kakamora**_

 _ **Disclaimer: The movie, 'Moana', is copyrighted by Walt Disney Animation Studio. It was directed by Ron Clements and John Musker and the co-directors were Don Hall and Chris William. It was released by Walt Disney Pictures in 2017.**_

 _ **I only claim copyright to the characters, and some of the elements of the story, that are of my own creation.**_

 _ **Summary: A young woman, seemingly ordinary, is deserted on an island that is void of life but is then confronted by a man who completely baffles her with his words and actions. He couldn't really be a demigod now, could he? There was no such thing as real gods. Or was she the one mistaken? Could she trust in his friendship after all the heartbreak and disappointment in her life?**_

 _ **The soundtrack for Chapter 3:**_

 _ **(*1) Kakamora, Mark Mancina**_

 _ **...**_

(*1)

 _Our journey across the ocean had only just started, and already we were facing enemies bent on hampering our mission to restore Te Fiti to her former self._

Maui pulled the harpoon from the mast, uttering a sound of frustration.

'' KAKAMORA!'' he practically spat out.

'' Well, something did come at us,'' I sighed out to Moana who turned to look at me with wide, startled eyes.

She held a tight-fisted hand over the magical stone heart.

'' W-what are Kakamora, Maui?'' Moana asked with a nervous air to her voice.

'' Their murdering little pirates.'' Maui spat out shortly.

That was all I needed to hear, in order to immediately spring into action. I tightened the stays with nervousness pressing against my chest as I'd never had to sail for my life. But after years of being on a boat, doing these small adjustments came naturally.

I moved to the back of the boat after tightening the yard-line, my chest tight with nervous anticipation.

I crouched, grabbed the rope and took it off the paddle before tightening the rope

'' I wonder what they're here for?!'' Maui commented sarcastically.

'' Would you two dumb-dumbs focus?!'' I gritted out between clenched teeth and unfurled the sail.

He and Moana stumbled as our boat ricocheted forward before catching their feet under them again.

THE HEART! THE HEART! THE HEART!

The little pirates had begun to actually chant out in an understandable language, but their voices sounded rough and animalistic.

'' They're after the heart of Te Fiti,'' Moana gasped out loud.

'' This day is turning out just swell,'' I thought sarcastically, rolling my eyes in frustration.

'' Okay, definitely not cute little coconuts,'' Moana commented nervously, gulping.

The Kakamora all wore expressions of fury upon noticing us attempting to escape.

'' Well that's just wrong,'' I thought as I turned my head back in the direction we were attempting to escape. A short hysterical sort of laugh escaped my lips despite the tense situation.

'' You actually thought them cute?'' Maui exclaimed and slapped the side of his head in disbelief.

My laughter was quelled as soon as it had begun upon hearing the sound of the pursuing ship behind us.

Moana was becoming panicked when she realized we were now being chased by pirates keen on pillaging Te Fiti's heart for their own use.

'' They're gaining on us, ocean, please help us!'' she cried out to the unresponsive water.

'' The ocean doesn't help you, you help yourself,'' Maui scolded before turning to actually watch me for the first time since the boat started moving. His expression held some surprise upon realizing I'd already done the necessary adjustments to the boat when he'd still stood preoccupied with the sudden appearance of the Kakamora. A pleased expression took its place for a moment before Maui's attention shifted back to the pirates.

I changed a glance to the back side of the boat as a war-horn was put to use and the sound of their wildly beating drums accompanying the sound was nerve-wracking.

Those creatures did look threatening despite wearing coconut armor and being the height of only about ninety-five centimeters. They had bristly looking hair that looked a lot like the fiber on a coconut and they had long sharp looking talons.

Seeing those Kakamora using a massive conch- shell as the warhorn made the situation worse, and so did Moana's panicked exclamation.

'' Can't you shape-shift or something?''

I snapped my head back to view the argument playing out in front of me.

''Do you see my hook, Curly? No magic hook equals no magic powers!'' Maui shot back at the panicking girl, gesturing down to Mini Maui who was shaking his head in confirmation.

'' You are the demigod of the Wind and Sea, Maui! Are you unable to blow more wind to our sail? Moana's ancestors didn't build this canoe for high-speed chases,'' I snarled out.

Maui and Moana both turned to me in surprise before a thoughtful expression crossed the man's face.

'' Is it possible for you to make the boat go faster?'' Moana gasped out to the demigod.

But before we could confirm my thoughts to be either a 'yes or a no', our thoughts were distracted by the sound of another harpoon flying through the air.

The next moment my senses were assaulted by a sharp, tearing pain and I couldn't help a tortured shriek from escaping my lips. My grip on the rope and paddle faltered as stars entered my vision.

Maui jumped in to pull me out of the back of the canoe and towards the center of the deck, tightening the rope before the sail could slacken and slow down our speed.

I felt soft, small girl hands press down on my calf and forced myself to blink away the stars in my vision.

'' W-what hit me?'' I asked in a slightly dazed voice.

'' That was harpoon, Maija. It made a glancing hit and you have a rather deep scar running the length of the side of your calf. '' Moana answered tightly.

Her brown eyes were peering worriedly into my dazed pain-filled eyes.

'' W-we don't have the time to focus on the wound, just- OW!''

Moana had increased the pressure to stop the bleeding, and I couldn't suppress a pained groan.

'' T-tie it tightly with something and focus on the pursuing Kakamora,'' I finished in a strained voice.

''A-alright, Maija,'' Moana muttered shakily and used one hand to unwound the coral-red shaded shawl around her waist.

As she started to wrap the wound tightly with the shawl, I found myself focusing on the shell necklace strapped to the girl's neck.

I took a small weaved net out of the pocket of my shorts, breathing in sharply as my wound gave another twinge, and slipped it over the shell. I then fastened the strap to the fiber of the necklace.

Moana flinched slightly at feeling my wandering hands, but upon seeing the fishing-line pouch I'd made with fishing-line, while stuck on Maui's island, she seemed to visibly relax.

'' I- I fastened that on to stop Te Fiti's heart from slipping out if the locket opens,'' I stuttered out, wincing when Moana tightened the shawl once before fastening it.

She looked at me apologetically upon noticing my pained reaction, before her eyes shifted to the fishing rod fastened over my shoulders.

It didn't take me long to realize where Moana's eyes had wandered, and that since her paddle had to be used elsewhere she was without a weapon.

'' Take it, and use it to fend off the Kakamora attempting to board your boat. It's a sturdy rod that can handle reeling in a large shark,'' I implored quietly.

Moana gave me a thankful smile before she stood up to stand over me protectively. I felt the fishing-rod slide off my back as the young Islander took it for her use.

I grimaced inwardly, struggling to turn around to see what was happening with the Kakamora fleet, but just as I did the air was filled with the sound of more harpoons launched from the massive mother-boat. A mother-boat that looked more like a small island than a pirate ship.

'' That's not good,'' Moana moaned as the harpoons smacked into the post and the gunwale.

She lost her balance and partially fell on top of me when the ropes attached to the harpoons were tightened, and our boat lurched backward from the immediate pulling dealt on the ropes.

'' Definitely not good at all,'' I breathed out, struggling to swallow back a shriek when the girl landed on my injured thigh.

'' I'm so sorry,'' Moana yelped as she scrambled away from me.

She then swirled around to stare at the enclosing mother-boat in wide-eyed panic.

'' The day turns from weird to bad. How can we possibly get away from the Kakamora,'' I grumbled, turning to stare at the enclosing boat, before switching my attention to Maui.

When I saw him desperately pulling the harpoons off the wood, I suddenly remembered the Finnish knife that my grandfather (from my mother's side of the family) had assigned to me in his Testament.

I sunk my hand into the back pocket of my shorts and rummaged inside until my hand enclosed around the smooth wooden handle.

'' Maui, catch the knife!'' I shouted and lobbed the knife towards the rather surprised demigod.

But my aim was true, and Maui easily caught the treasured artifact and started hacking at the bases of the harpoons where the ropes were at their tightest.

Splash, splash, splash

The Kakamora that had tried to board our boat using the ropes fell into the salty water with startled screeches as their way of entry was intercepted.

Maui finished freeing us in record time, jumped back onto the steering end of the boat and ended the rather amazing spectacle by heaving in a breath and then freeing it against the sail in a huge gust of wind.

Our boat ricocheted forwards and Moana yelped as she almost lost her footing a second time.

But she didn't lose it this time around, for which I was silently grateful.

'' If only this boat had a differently angled sail, this boat would outrun those Kakamora boats easily,'' I moaned out loud, even as I hoped we'd gain some ground on the little beasties.

'' What do you mean by that?'' Moana asked me, not missing the little snippet of knowledge I knew would have been handy at a time like this.

'' I meant exactly what I said, if the angle of the sail was more towards the nose of the canoe, lowest at the tip of the sail, getting away from that heavy mother-ship wouldn't be a problem,'' I grunted out.

'' You sure know a lot about sailing, sweet-heart,'' Maui exclaimed from the steering end.

I shook my head in exasperation at the demigod. Why did he still sound like he was caught off guard over my knowledge of boats? Had he not listened when I'd told him that I'd been practically raised sailing by my father and my grandfather (from dad's side of the family), during the first weeks on that drab little island?

'' I told you, Maui, that teaching children and adults to sail was my job before I became your island apprentice,'' I drawled out with tiredness and physical pain in my eyes,

BOOOOOMMMMM

The sound of the shell- horn being blown once more and the sound of the angrily beating drums had me wincing.

Those murdering little pirates certainly weren't giving up their chosen treasure so easily.

And what was even worse…

'' More boats, the mother-ship is turning into more boats!'' Moana exclaimed in disbelief as she stood in a battle ready stance.

Her fingers gripped my rod tightly as two smaller boats were released by long mooring lines that had held them secure to the sides of the mothership. They broke off from the much larger wooden ship and began to quickly enclose on us from both sides.

I stumbled to my feet holding onto the mast for support as I looked around wildly for an idea to salvage the situation before we were caught and be unable to escape.

While the mother-boat looked ridiculously heavy and slow to turn with its tall simply built tower and even full height coconut trees with leaves, these two pirate boats were smaller and faster.

And yet compared to our boat they looked cumbersome and would certainly not be able to make sudden fast turns.

'' That is it, we can make sudden turns,'' I realized with sudden clarity.

I whirled around to address Maui who was looking at the approaching boats with a deep frown on his face.

'' Maui, those boats won't be able to turn as fast as us, if we pivot our boat towards the opposite direction at just the right moment we can hopefully cause those boats to crash,'' I exclaimed as I limped towards the demigod.

'' You are wounded on one leg and the girl doesn't know how to sail,'' Maui gritted out between clenched teeth.

'' Then you make the pivot happen and I'll be in charge of steering; you know I can sail. But if we are gonna make this plan work it's going to have to happen before those puny pirates attack us with more harpoons,'' I retorted with forced calmness.

This was not the right time and place to argue about this subject, and I hoped Maui would realize that at the current moment this plan was our only solution to escape.

'' Then mind the steering,'' Maui answered, coming to a quick conclusion that I may be in the right in this matter. He quickly got up, grabbed me under my armpits with one arm and plopped me down into his vacated seat.

Maui held the rope taught to keep the sail from slackening as he quickly handed me the paddle.

'' You know my war-call by heart, sweetheart, so when I use it, pull the paddle from the water and jam it back in once the turn has been made,'' Maui told me as soon as I had a firm grip on the rope and paddle.

'' Aye, Maui, I shall do it,'' I answered as more adrenaline seeped into my being. Currently, it was the only thing keeping me on my feet at this time, and the pain from overwhelming my senses was the adrenaline.

'' Moana, hold on tightly to the mast!'' I called out to the teenager who had been watching and listening to us making up the plan.

Her expression told that she hadn't expected to see any team-work happen between a mortal and this particular demigod.

Thankfully Moana didn't question my words; instead, she jumped to do my bidding when she saw Maui readying to make the turn.

The teenager grasped the mast tightly with both arms, one hand still clutching on to my fishing-rod.

'' CHEE-HOO!''

Maui's shout rang out and I lifted the oar and gripped the sides of the canoe with my thighs as my side of the boat was lifted into the air by the force of the demigod's jump-and-land motion.

Our boat swept the waves on one side and the other in the air as we made the turn.

Maui jumped to the starboard side of the boat to steady us before the boat capsized, and as soon as both sides of the boat firmly hit the water I jammed the oar back into the water.

I glared up at small Kakamora jumping around on the towering ship approaching us with high speed.

I could hear Moana gasp at the sight of the chattering Kakamora preparing to jump aboard our small boat.

But I was determined to find us an opening to slip through at the last second; and then I saw it, on the right side where there was an arch to the stern of the massive ship that we could use to our advantage.

But it would require Maui to once again mind the turning and prevent us from capsizing.

And Moana to mind the little coconuts.

'' Moana, the Kakamora will try to jump on board. Please, use the fishing rod to hamper those annoying little coconut pirates,'' I called out to the girl who stood at the stern with a now determined expression on her face as she prepared to ward off our attackers.

'' And Maui, lean towards the starboard-side when I give you the signal,'' I added as we approached the mother-boat at top speed.

'' I'm turning the boat!'' I shouted as I jumped up from my crouch and leaned towards the port-side of our canoe.

Maui adjusted his own weight to make the turn easier, and the boat was quick to dart to a position parallel to the Kakamora ship.

I wondered, why the Kakamora weren't attacking us yet until I was struck by the realization that they may have been caught off guard by our sudden turn into their path. But this moment of confusion from out enemies was short-lived. The small creatures managed to reorganize their group and began to jump on board.

Moana was instantly put into the position to defend our boat. The sound of her using my fishing-rod to strike out at the Kakamora was like the bowling ball striking the pins.

It brought up a rather amusing image in my head, but I needed to keep my eyes fixated on the opening we were going to use as an escape route. And to trust Maui and Moana to defend me from the enemy.

'' Lean port-side, Maui, now!'' I shouted when I saw that the two smaller boats were fast approaching us.

Our boat swept the surface, the outrigger in the air as Maui used the long rope to keep the boat from capsizing to one side. I determinately leaned to the right, keeping to my feet even as the strain in my arm and my injured thigh increased as the seconds ticked by. I couldn't falter to strain, not now anyway.

Swish, swish, swish

Thunk, thunk, thunk

I flinched as a half a dozen darts flew past me and smacked onto the mast.

Swish

Thunk

That single dart had to have smacked onto the end of the boat somewhere behind me.

''A really close call,'' I thought, my expression gritting into a fierce look as we kept to the position until the end of our boat was home-free and I could relax slightly.

I quickly adjusted the sails to take the strong wind as Maui jumped in front of me in a crouch, breathing in another deep breath before releasing it in a gusty wind.

It ricocheted our boat forward and we were swept over a large incoming wave that launched us into the air for a short moment before we landed back down on the ocean surface.

The impact jarred my injured leg and I barely held back a yelp of agony. I sucked in a sharp breath when I felt something warm and sticky dripping down my leg despite the makeshift tourniquet. My leg was bleeding again.

CRRRUUUNNNCCCHHH

My spirits were raised by the satisfying sound of the two smaller boats being run over by the mothership. Even more so, at the high pitched yelps from the Kakamora pirates evacuating their boats for the ocean to avoid getting potentially crushed by the bigger boat.

I was still smirking like crazy as I kept to my position, but after a while, my adrenaline was beginning to run out. I was becoming light-headed, dizzy and I could barely focus on Moana's excitable shouts.

'' We made it out! We made it out!''

She was jumping around on the boat deck holding her odd pet rooster, Hey Hey, in her arms.

'' Well I'm glad you turned out to be of some help, after all, though I must question the sanity of your village chief when I find myself looking down at a child that doesn't know a thing about wayfinding,'' Maui commented as he began picking up the poison darts scattered around the boat before chucking them into the ocean, ''

'' The village chief of Motunui is Tui, and I am the daughter of the chief. Don't insult my father, or my people, when it wasn't them who chose me to sail across the ocean to find you,'' Moana exclaimed, looking furious.

'' Oh, really,'' Maui retorted,'' then what sort of bone-headed…?''

'' If you finish that sentence I'll shove this dart up where the sun doesn't shine, on you,'' I snapped out between clenched teeth, having reached over the side of the boat to yank the red feathered weapon off the wood.

Moana hid a laugh behind her hand as Maui drew me a disgruntled glance.

'' At least try to be grateful for the fact that she actually came looking for you on that godforsaken piece of land,'' I said and stumbled slightly on my feet.

I would have fallen back into the ocean if it weren't for the blob of water (that had been so helpful with Moana) gently shoving me forwards until I landed on my knees against the floor of the canoe. The wood felt wet underneath me, but as I moved I felt the stickiness there, too, and I knew without looking that it was more than just seawater sprayed onto the deck.

'' I- I think you'll have to take over the steering, Maui,'' I gasped out as the pain lanced over the deep cut on the side of my thigh.

Then, suddenly, my vision began to turn blurry around the corners and I felt like I would pass out.

I began to slowly slip over the edge of the canoe...

''Maija!'' I heard Maui exclaim and the next thing I knew, I was pulled back from slumping over the side of the boat.

I groaned slightly at the pain and the dizziness as I was being cradled in the arms of my friend. I flinched violently when I felt small, warm hands reach out to unwound the tourniquet from around my calf.

I tried to focus my eyes when I heard the sharp gasp as the wound was revealed. I felt slightly numb and detached, but I could still feel the teenager applying firm pressure to the bleeding wound.

For a moment I could focus my eye-sight on the shocked, worried, guilty expression on Moana's face. I held no grievances towards her forgetting that I'd been injured when the Kakamora had come to steal the heart of Te Fiti from us.

But as much as I wanted to assure her of that, I could no longer summon any energy to speak out.

The darkness began to creep further than the edges of my iris until my vision was totally blackened and the unconsciousness called out to me. I allowed myself fall into the black void where I could see and hear no more.

 _ **End of Chapter 4**_

 _ **...**_

 _ **Author Notes:**_

 _ **I couldn't really find better music for this chapter other than the original soundtrack musical piece created by Mark Mancina.**_

'' _ **As for you, Grammarly, I've come to have a love and hate relationship towards you this past week.''**_


	5. Chapter 5

**_Chapter 5_**

 ** _Disclaimer: The movie, 'Moana', is copyrighted by Walt Disney Animation Studio. It was directed by Ron Clements and John Musker and the co-directors were Don Hall and Chris William. It was released by Walt Disney Pictures in 2017._**

 ** _I only claim copyright to the characters, and some of the elements of the story, that are of my own creation._**

 ** _Summary: A young woman, seemingly ordinary, is deserted on an island that is void of life but is then confronted by a man who completely baffles her with his words and actions. He couldn't really be a demigod now, could he? There was no such thing as real gods. Or was she the one mistaken? Could she trust in his friendship after all the heartbreak and disappointment in her life?_**

 ** _The soundtrack for Chapter 5:_**

 ** _(*1) Who Needs You- From Land Before Time_**

 ** _(*2) Swordland- Taylor Davis (From Sword Art Online)_**

...

I was eventually pulled back from the black void I'd fallen in by the sound of wind ruffling the sail, and the water lapping against the sides of the wooden canoe, as it cut across the ocean surface.

But as I was yanked up from my deep unconscious state, I still felt weak in the limbs and there was slight nausea present, too. My mouth felt parched and scratchy and even with the summer-jacket, I was definitely shivering as the wind caressed my skin.

I looked up to see the sail rippling in the wind and smiled slightly at the sight before turning to look up at the sun for just a second before averting my eyes.

The sun seemed to be rising, not setting and therefore I knew that I'd been out much longer than I'd believed at first.

My leg was showing how much it had been damaged from me not staying off the injured limb after it had been hit by the harpoon.

I couldn't suppress the slight noise of discomfort that escaped my lips at the persistent ache in the limb and therefore, almost immediately, there was a pair of large warm hands suddenly patting lightly at my cheeks until I was screwing my face into a grimace.

'' Hnngghh… what is it?'' I groaned out to whoever was bothering me.

'' Did you get enough beauty sleep?'' a familiar voice spoke up suddenly and I turned my still slightly fuzzy vision towards Maui who was kneeling nearby with a rather worried expression on his face.

'' Again with that, Maui? But yeah, I think I'll be fine,'' I croaked out softly with a weak chuckle.

Maui laughed at my response and moved closer to me to wound his hands under my armpits to gently pull me up into a sitting position before removing one hand to grab a coconut shell from the deck.

'' Drink slowly or you'll choke on this,'' he warned and lifted it up to my lips.

I gave a slight noise of surprise when I tasted rainwater in the cup. It was fresh rainwater, so there must have been a small rain-shower while I'd been out like a light.

I drank the water gratefully, being careful to not spill even a drop of the precious liquid until it was all gone.

'' Thank you,'' I muttered as Maui helped me back into a lying position on the deck.

'' Your welcome,'' Maui answered with a playful singing voice and I couldn't help but laugh at his way of lifting my spirits.

But Moana uttered an exasperated sound from where she was attempting to steer the boat.

'' So how is the navigating going, Moana?'' I asked, turning my head slightly to see the chief's daughter.

But Moana's didn't smile at my question, nor break into enthusiastic chatter like she would have normally done. In fact, she looked so very downcast and dispirited that I knew I needed to inquire the reason why she was in such mood.

I started to force myself back into a sitting position, ignoring Maui's protests for the movement and turned my attention back to the young girl who was now looking straight at me.

'' Moana, talk to me, what's wrong?'' I asked softly, feeling for the poor teenager who now looked like she would burst into tears.

'' I-its just that, I'm sorry you got hurt. I-if I hadn't started raising my voice...,'' Moana answered with a tremble in her voice.

'' You've never travelled the ocean before, have you? So you wouldn't have known that water carries voices farther and louder than on land,'' I answered sympathetically.

I cast a warning glare in Maui's direction before he could 'butt in' on the conversation.

'' So really, I'll forgive you even though there is nothing to forgive. It wasn't your fault the Kakamoras launched a harpoon at me.''

'' I-I guess but I've lived on Motunui all my life, and the life there had always been peaceful, and to see you get wounded the way you did it shocked me. And it made me realize just how dangerous this mission to restore TeFiti's heart really is,'' Moana stuttered out weakly.

''Which is why you should really consider just abandoning the whole mission.'' Maui huffed out, for which I shot him another warning look.

''But I can't, Maui. Grandma showed me that the curse is now beginning to wrap itself around my people's island. The fish are gone from our reef, some of our coconut trees are producing coconuts that are dry and ashy on the inside. I don't know how long it'll take for the entirety of the curse to bring our island to ruins, and my people with it.''

Moana's looked up into Maui's eyes, her expression earnest and pained.

'' Maui, my people haven't sailed in generations after monsters emerged from the depths of the ocean and made voyaging a death-trap. None of them would be able to escape the land crumbling around them,'' Moana continued, her voice breaking at the end of her sentence.

I couldn't help but scoot all the way to the end of the boat to pull the girl in a gentle, comforting hug.

She slowly sunk into my arms, her tears wetting my shoulder as she held on to my waist.

'' Dear gods, she very much tries to act like a responsible grown-up but she looks like a teenager of thirteen or fourteen bound to this dangerous mission. Well, maybe in this era she is considered to be an adult, already,'' I thought rather morbidly.

'' Hey, its gonna be alright, we will do our best to fix this disaster. And I'll help you learn how to be a Wayfinder. You see, I was with this big, pompous windbag for the whole three hundred and sixty-five days before you came along,'' I said, trying to be comforting in my words.

Moana gave a small snort of laughter and Mini Maui was splitting his sides laughing at his bigger counterparts indignant splutter of protest.

'' And I picked up a few new skills on sailing, even though I couldn't really sail beyond the reef with a hopelessly wrecked up boat.''

'' Maui did tell me you were somehow transported from a different age, or world, and were shipwrecked on his lonesome island. Is it really true you have no family, no people of yours here? '' Moana said softly as she pulled away from me reluctantly.

'' When I went sailing on that ill-fated day, my family was left behind, yes,'' I sighed out softly as the teenager looked up at me beseechingly.

'' I found it hard to believe, that someone could be brought to another time or dimension until Maui showed me some of your belongings,'' Moana said softly.

I sighed in exasperation and pinched my eyes closed for a long moment; I didn't like the thought of Maui rummaging through my personal belongings, even to prove his story to be true. I opened them again when Moana gave a disheartened sigh.

But I would let the matter slide this time.

I brushed a wayward strand of hair from her face, smiling gently at her before taking off my light summer jacket (it was becoming too hot to wear at this time of the morning) and wrapped it up into a bundle. I then opened the storage hatch and stuffed it into the storage- hatch.

Hey Hey immediately took it as a makeshift nest, which in turn had me roll my eyes in irritation at the cooky creature

'' If he poops on it, I'll have Maui wash it for me in retribution for him having gone through my stuff without my permission,' I thought before closing the hatch.

I then turned back to face Moana and found her staring at me, or rather, what was on my skin with noticeable interest.

I knew exactly what had caught her interest.

Five months before my fourteenth birthday, my father had begun the arduous job of talking my mother into accepting a certain tradition that had been a source of several long talks between them. And that tradition had been my coming of age tattoo.

At first, my mother had been very much against the tradition as she had been raised in a society where tattoos weren't often given to teenagers.

But my father's reasonings had eventually softened mother who had, after all, embraced the difference in our societies when she had married my father.

I still thought back fondly to the last months before my birthday when my parents and immediate relatives had gone through different designs.

What became of it was a beautiful work of art that I'd always been proud to show on my skin.

I had several tattoos that each held meaning for me. On the back of my neck, there was a strip of Maori design tattoos. The single twist which represented the 'Path of Life and of Eternity' and following the path of that symbol was the Double Twist that represented the 'Friendship for Life' that I'd felt for a certain person I'd first met when I'd been eight years old. Between the twists was the shape of rocks in a tide-pool. It represented the place where I'd first met my friend, And the small shape of a child holding a tiny conch that housed a small little crab was me introducing myself to the creature.

Because yes, I'd become friends with a crab when I'd been eight years old, but she hadn't been just any kind of crab.

I smiled slightly at the memory of getting these particular tattoos marked onto my skin before flinching slightly as Moana hesitantly reached out to trace the friendship symbol on my neck.

'' Its an interesting story as to how I was bestowed with that tattoo, but right now we don't have time for tales,'' I told the girl.

We both turned back to Maui who had been silent for an uncharacteristically long while as Moana had admired my tattoos. There was a realization, understanding and silent inner turmoil in his stance as he stood up to walk over to my side to address the two of us.

''Alright, I won't try to avoid this mission any longer. But without the hook given to me by the gods, there is no way we could get past Te Ka, the Lava Monster. She would smite us with her fire before we'd even come close to getting the heart back into the spiral,'' he sighs in a voice that told he was grudgingly accepting what he needed to do in order to make things right

'' Do you have any idea as to where it might have ended up after Te Ka struck you from the sky? '' I answered with a raised eyebrow as Moana finally turned her attention back to steering the boat.

'' HAH! I'm very sure, sweetheart!'' Maui exclaimed, his expression full of certainty.

'' So where are we off to, Maui?'' I asked insistently.

''We are heading to Tamatoa's lair, which is towards the eastern horizon towards,'' Maui answered as he flopped back down onto the deck beside me, looking down at the very elaborate friendship tattoo on the back of my neck.

I almost shivered when his large finger traced the slender, beautifully crafted tattoo and focused my thoughts on where we were going.

The giant crab living in Lalotai, the Realm of Monsters?! That humungous monster crab?!'' I thought with a frown on my lips.

'' So yeah, mind telling me what this tattoo is all about?'' Maui asked me suddenly.

I uttered a sigh of utter exasperation.

On the third day on his island, I'd pulled my hair up into a messy bun and revealed the tattoos on my skin. Since then I'd long forgotten to count how many times he had asked about said tattoos, and I'd been trying to avoid talking about its meaning.

The reason being, that I was acutely aware of the history of Maui and Tamatoa. I'd heard the story of the demigod fighting, and defeating a giant crab- monster that coveted gold and anything that glittered on one of the evenings in the caves.

Hence the reason I'd been left to guard my secret of having befriended a baby crab that may, or may not have been a miniature version of the same species he'd defeated.

I mean, Peara (pearl) had been a talking crab. And just how many species of crabs actually spoke?

''No other species except for those gigantic creatures. By the gods, I don't want Maui getting judgemental on me for befriending Peara,'' I thought with a silent groan and a sad expression on my face.

Besides, all this thinking of giant crabs reminded me that I still had no idea what had happened to that adorable little crustacean I'd known for five years.

I'd taken her to the beachside like I'd done every morning so that she was able to roam free until school was over for the day, but she'd just disappeared. And no matter how excessively I'd looked for Peara, I'd never found her again.

The idea of her abandoning me never crossed my mind during those days of searching. In fact, Peara slipping off a rock and drowning in the waters of the ocean had crossed my mind several times on those days; and yet I'd not stopped hoping that I'd see her again.

Even after I'd stopped searching for her full time I'd always returned to the beach to do my schoolwork, hoping that she'd find her way back to me.

This had been a daily schedule until I'd moved away from the house of my parents.

Anyway, back to the matter with Maui…

'' Maybe you should go ahead and plant your bottom over there and guide Moana in sailing,'' I said sarcastically, pointing a thumb at the girl who was listening to us with rapt attention.

'' You know it isn't just sailing. It's about seeing where you're going in your mind, and knowing where you are by knowing where you've been,'' Maui answered, getting up with a quick kick-off with his arms.

The boat that rocked wildly at the movement.

'' Oh, right, I totally forgot,'' I answered playfully as the burly demigod sauntered over to Moana.

I flopped back onto the deck as my energy level made a nose-dive and the pain in my leg flared up again.

I uttered a tired sigh as I rested the back of my head against the smooth wood of the boat. The rocking motion felt very soothing and I found myself relaxing to the point where my eyes began to close and I drifted off into the world of slumber dreams.

…

'' Oh, it's a beautiful shell,'' Peara exclaimed in delight, clicking her small pincers as she scuttled over to me and the shell I held in my hand. It was a shell of a myriad of colours that blended in well with Peara's own natural albino white colour.

I smiled at the small, talking crustacean abandoned her old makeshift carapace and made herself a home inside the new, bigger, and roomier shell.

''So, what will you do with this old shell, Peara? '' I asked with a chuckle as I inspected the deceptively ordinary shell with my eyes.

It certainly wasn't ordinary when the lights go out all its natural colours were revealed in a beautiful luminescent flare.

Just like Peara's, though her flare was a lot more muted.

'' You can have it, Maija,'' Peara answered with a satisfied smile on her face as she crawled to the old conch and began pushing it in my direction.

I grinned in delight when the conch came in contact with my knee and gently swept a hand under my friend and lifted the little crab up into a fond embrace against my sternum.

Peara answered by resting her claws lightly on the sides of my neck, her waving antennae tickling at my cheeks. The sensation really made your skin twitch and I barely held back a giggle at the feel of them on my skin. But instead of giggling I marvelled at the fact that I had such an extraordinary friend to go along with my best human friends that I'd known since first grade.

For a while, everything was calm and peaceful, but then everything changed in a split second. The conch Peara had given to me suddenly began to vaporize into a black ash cloud and when I whipped my head around the beach I could see the trees and everything else I'd once called beautiful and homely, disappear into a cloud of darkness that vaporized everything in its path.

My parent's house was now being attacked by the consuming wall of dark billowing cloud…

''NO!'' I screamed as I could only watch my home disappear, tears of grief stinging in my eyes. I whipped my head back when I heard Peara's keening shriek and found to my absolute horror that the darkness had ripped her away from me, too. I was kneeling on the beach entirely by my lonesome, gripping by chest in emotional agony when the tendrils of blackness latched onto me like octopus tentacles.

My skin began to peel off, my bone marrow being pulled out of the bones, my insides and my blood sucked out as if an unseen ravenous person was sensation turned out to be physically painful; I screamed in unbearable physical agony.

Then there, right before my horrified eyes, I could see my bones splayed out. Everything else had already been stripped out and only my eyes had remained, but somehow, I was still alive and able to think. Then my bones began to vaporize into dust, but instead of being pulled into the wind they began to burrow deep into the earth.

The last thing I saw before my eyes were taken from me, too, was an impossibly bright flash of green light that spiralled into a symbol that should have been familiar but at that time I had not the mind to trace it to its source.

…

'' AH!'' I gasped out as I snapped awake and whipped upright as if I had been struck in the face. I breathed harshly for a moment, my mind not taking in my surroundings as I gripped my necklace in my palm.

Finally, once I felt the hot caress of the sun upon my face and body, my arisen panic began to subside. I lifted the hand gripping the necklace to my face and hid my teary eyes from the two other individuals on the boat-deck.

''Gods, what the heck was that? This wasn't a vision dream, it had been an ordinary one! Well, more like an ordinary nightmare that rose from somewhere in my consciousness and fears,''I groaned under my breath.

The conch, oh the conch, was an important reminder of my friendship with Peara and the beginning of the dream had been a real memory of events past. Though hidden under the driftwood locket the conch was safely snuggled against my sternum.

It was such an important artefact in many ways, as it had been the shell Peara had been carrying on her back the whole five years she'd been staying in my home, and on that day she'd changed shells had been a shift in her physical size.

It had marked the next stage of her life, following the age in which she'd been able to begin wandering away from ones parent's shell to explore the world one ones' own feet. To learn how to hide and survive, to search for a small enough shell and keep it until grown too large to fit inside of it.

One would think she would have wanted to keep it as a reminder of her life on whatever Island she had come from. But, instead, she had given it to me as a friendship gift.

And now it was one of my precious treasures.

I could feel the tears pooling in my eyes underneath my hand as I scootched to lean against the mast.

I uttered another small groan and wiped the hand across my eyes swiftly before dropping the hand to my side. I thoughtfully switched my gaze to the driftwood locket dangling against my sternum. I knew it still held the remnants of whatever essence made it glow with deep sea creature lights; even if the glow had dimmed over the past nineteen years.

'' You still determined to not tell me about that crab tattoo on the back of your neck? '' Maui asked with a grin on his lips as he peered at my much-calmed form sitting by the mast.

I turned my head to look at the demigod with a blank expression on my face.

'' You still determined to not discuss the origins of that one tattoo?'' I retorted with a drawl.

As I'd predicted, Maui immediately clammed down on asking me about the origins of my own tattoo.

I sighed in relief and exasperation. It always took the mentioning of that one tattoo to make the guy shut up, but it always left me curious as to why the story of it was so painful to Maui. Of course, I could see that it could be a very tragic piece of personal history, with the image of a long-haired woman throwing a baby from a cliff into what looked like the ocean.

Was it Maui himself deciphered as the little baby? Had he been unwanted by his parents and thus thrown off a cliff to be swallowed by the waves?

I honestly wanted these questions confirmed, but he was holding his past history from me and I wasn't the kind of person that insistently pried on other peoples background.

And to be honest I, too, had dark secrets that I refused to talk about to the demigod. So why pry on his secrets when I refused to fully open up to him?

Then, unexpectedly, Maui started his totally obnoxious way of cheering me up from my moodiness.

'' I need you like a crab on my foot.''(*1)

I groaned inwardly and rolled my eyes skyward. It had been a grievous mistake to have opened him up to some of the childhood animation songs I remembered watching on TV and VHS.

'' And I need you like a shark in the face. You constantly bite the hand that feeds you,'' I shot back as I was reminded of a certain incident with the very impressionable blob of water.

Very true as he always seemed to turn sour whenever I showed him my excelling fishing skills even though he always craved for the meats. And it happened like every damn time.

'' I need you like an oar in the gut,'' Maui sang out with a goofy look on his face as he glanced at Moana.

'' Hey, you earned it!'' she exclaimed indignantly, and I barely held back a snort of laughter

''Oh yeah? And I need you like a kick in the butt. You truly disgrace the race that breeds you,'' I retorted, honestly meaning nothing with any of the words. I'd just went along with the song.

''Who needs you? Not me.'' we both sung out together with glares on our faces.

By the time Maui and I tapered off with the antagonising song (that hadn't been the whole of it, thank goodness) Moana was splitting her sides laughing at our stances.

Somewhere in the middle of it all, I'd managed to get to my feet and get so close to the demigod's face our noses were almost touching. My hands were on my hips and I was balancing on my other leg to avoid straining my injured limb. Maui had his arms in a bodybuilder pose and his nose was 'oh so close' to my own.

'' You guys are too much. What on earth was that? An antagonising haka or something?''Moana managed to splutter out between giggles.

'' When you're stuck on a drab little island for a whole turn of seasons with this guy around, you do end up going a little bit crazy,'' I answered with an amused smirk of my own.

'' I could say the same thing about you, kid,'' Maui retorted, but without rancour.

Mini Maui was laughing his little head off at the pair of us.

Moana continued to giggle at us for a moment longer before her expression turned much more sombre and serious.

'' But seriously I really need help in becoming a true Wayfinder, and Maui wasn't much help while you were asleep. He actually peed in the ocean when I was inspecting the water currents and temperature with my hand,'' she said, wrinkling her nose in disgust.

I found myself mirroring her expression.

'' Oh my gods, Maui, what were you thinking? That's revolting!'' I exclaimed and punched him lightly in the pectorals.

'' I said something along those lines, too,'' Moana muttered, glowering at Maui who just laughed at our reactions.

'' Honestly Maui, could you rein in your trickster tendencies and focus on teaching such a determined learner? I'd have given up my right arm to have had such a person to teach back when I worked as a sailing instructor, ''I groaned, slapping a hand across my face.

Maui finally stopped laughing and peered down at the pair of us females with a raised eyebrow. '' Gotta admit, you, too, still have a lot to learn about Wayfinding,'' he answered.

'' Well what's it gonna be, Maui?'' I drawled out, one eyebrow raised in question. I glanced back at Moana who was almost bouncing in anticipation.

Maui sighed, rolling his eyes to the sky before turning his attention back to the pair of us.

'' Let's start at the beginning, then. Moana, you take the oar.''

He gestured to the oar and Moana was off to take her position at the end of the canoe.

'' And you will just listen and watch as I go through the basics,'' he deadpanned to me and gestured for me to take a seat at the nose of the canoe.

Smiling brightly, I gave the guy a friendly shove with my shoulder as I limped passed him to do his bidding. (*1)

…

 _ **End of Chapter 5**_

 ** _Author Notes:_**

 ** _I put one of the Chapter soundtracks at the very end, and the reason is that I wanted to make a long ending tune. I think it sort of describes the slow evolution of their team-work, and so that's why I find this tune suitable for this part of the story. The Original tune is Wayfinding by Mark Mancina_**

 _ ** _Also, I'm s_ orry to give out some negative news, but I need a four-week break from writing. I have some spring cleaning to do in my apartment and summer house this coming month.**_

 _ **And on a lesser note, the Winter Olympics are coming and I definitely want to watch that without the stress of having to put up a new Chapter. I'm also reading Silmarillion and Unfinished Tales by J.R.R. Tolkien**_

 _ **But just to assure everyone, the next Chapter will definitely be up on the 4.3.2018!**_


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6**

 _ **Disclaimer: The movie, 'Moana', is copyrighted by Walt Disney Animation Studio. It was directed by Ron Clements and John Musker and the co-directors were Don Hall and Chris William. It was released by Walt Disney Pictures in 2017.**_

 _ **I only claim copyright to the characters, and some of the elements of the story, that are of my own creation.**_

 _ **Summary: A young woman, seemingly ordinary, is deserted on an island that is void of life but is then confronted by a man who completely baffles her with his words and actions. He couldn't really be a demigod now, could he? There was no such thing as real gods. Or was she the one mistaken? Could she trust in his friendship after all the heartbreak and disappointment in her life?**_

 _ **The soundtrack for Chapter 5:**_

 _ **(*1) Gone too Soon- Daughtry**_

 _ **...**_

 _ **'' And you will just listen and watch as I go through the basics,'' he deadpanned to me and gestured for me to take a seat at the nose of the canoe.**_

 _ **Smiling brightly, I gave the guy a friendly shove with my shoulder as I limped passed him to do his bidding.**_

...

It was much later that day when I found myself being the one navigating our way across the vast ocean. Navigating, by measuring the stars with the palm of my hand, was something I'd learned to do during the many months of my reclusive time on the small island.

Moana was sleeping nearby, curled close to where I'd propped up my bandaged, still very aching leg.

I adjusted the main rope and moved the sails to better catch the wind blowing past us.

Moana shifted at the little noise it had caused and Maui made a slight twitch by my left But otherwise, he made no motion that would concern me as to whether I'd made the wrong call.

He was on watch, to make sure we were staying on course to Tamatoa's lair in Lalotai.

I yawned, rubbing a hand across my eyes before focusing on the task at hand. It was mercifully, and enjoyable silent, except for the sound of the wind blowing at our sail and the ocean lapping against the sides and stern of the canoe-boat.

I couldn't help the serene sigh that escaped my lips.

The silence was was like those treasured moments of peace on the small and mostly uninhabited island, when Maui and I had spent the evenings watching and measuring the stars in the horizon sky.

We had always sat on my wrecked boat that Maui had 'so graciously' hauled out of the ocean floor after it had sunk in his attempt to sail it (much to my relief as it had held food provisions and clothing). It had been our way to imagine being on the ocean and using the rudder on the boat to copy the movements of using a paddle in the water.

Though unable to actually be in the ocean, the time I'd spent learning from the demigod had been truly enlightening.

And now I was finally back on the ocean again. I was able to feel the wind pushing at our sail, to hear the water touching the sides of the canoe. It was all bringing a smile to my lips despite the whole reason we were all on this course of direction.

'' I can see you're enjoying the feeling of being able to sail again,'' Maui's voice spoke of suddenly, drawing me away from the serene state I'd fallen into.

'' You know I never used to navigate in such rudimentary ways before meeting you, for I used to have those things we call a compass and a map. We didn't use the stars or the water currents to find our way,'' I agreed softly.

I paused for a moment to feel the wind touching my skin and ruffling my hair.

'' But I must say, the old ways teach you more than simply following someone else's discoveries and mapping. Back where I used to live I taught those who wanted the skills they so wish to accomplished, but its Moana whom seems to be the most driven I've seen in a long time,'' I admitted quietly.

I glanced down at Moana who was curled up on the deck very close to the edge of the steering end of the boat deck where my leg was propped. I had to wonder whether she felt soothed by having the presence of an older female on the boat with her.

But why, though? I was just an ordinary human woman, unlike Maui who was a demigod. But, maybe, that was just it; I gave her a sense of normalcy that had been shattered with having to convince a reluctant demigod to go on a mission to return the Te Fiti's heart to its rightful owner and save the world.

Seeing a stray strand of curly hair falling over her face, I smiled ruefully and reached over to tuck it behind her ear.

Moana sighed softly in her sleep but didn't awaken.

I was about to lift my hand from her hair when, all of a sudden, the image of her blurred and right before my eyes, there was a small sleeping boy with thick, shoulder-length dark curly hair.

 _ **(*1)**_

I gasped in startlement, shaking my head violently to clear my vision before looking down again. Instead of the young boy, I was looking down at Moana, again, but the sudden appearance of the boy had left a mark on my heart. A mark that reminded me of what could have been if the teenager on the boat had indeed been my little son. Would he have been as eager to acquire the skills to sail, like Moana and I, or would he have been like his father who had loved music and had wanted to become famous through it?

Therefore it came to be, that while my thoughts were so scrambled by the sudden and unexpected appearance of the young boy, I failed to watch what I spoke to Maui.

'' I wish I'd have been given the change to show my son all those islands I found beautiful,'' I muttered under my breath, but then immediately grimaced when Maui inhaled sharply.

I glanced over at him cautiously and saw his face twisted into an extremely shocked expression.

'' You have a son?'' he asked almost immediately.

I looked away, biting my lip as I contemplated whether I should admit anything to the guy. But then I felt his hand on my shoulder, his touch firm but not painful, and I knew he wouldn't let the matter go like I hoped.

'' Maija, do you have a son?'' Maui asked me insistently.

I sighed, my heart twisting painfully at memories I'd shoved into the background in my effort to turn into a better person following tragic events. But now I had to revisit those painful memories.

'' I… had a son born, but he came much too early and lasted but a few days before he was taken from me. His sire had abandoned the pair of us long before 'baby Roto' had been large enough to show in my womb,'' I admitted with pain in my voice.

I paused, staring at the dark horizon with tears in the corner of my eyes.

'' Maui, please understand that this is all very painful for me to discuss and I really do not want to delve into it more deeply. Please don't ask me to discuss it further,'' I added after a moment of silence.

There was a merciful silence between us for a long while, with just the natural sounds around us making noise.

I peeked at Maui, watching as he silently went over what I'd just revealed to him. His eyes suddenly gazed at me with sadness, compassion and even a bit of pity.

I turned my eyes away quickly and sucked in a breath.

The sadness and compassion I could handle but the pity always vexed me because I knew that during those days in therapy I'd come to a realization that I'd not been the perfect girlfriend in the relationship, and that I'd been just as much a reason for our break-up than my estranged husband. But Lachlan's abrupt leaving and his callous actions before it had still been unforgivable to my soul and I couldn't understand why he'd needed to go to such lengths to show me what he'd thought of me.

His callous actions and the words in the letter he had left for me had landed me in therapy after I'd almost drowned myself.

And the tiny, dying baby boy in my arms had brought me down to the lowest level of depression that took me a long time to rise above.

All in all, including the five months I'd spent in therapy during pregnancy, it took a whole year and four months for me to return to normalcy, but thankfully my family had not given up on me.

My mother and my father had stood by me in my darkest of moments and had been so very relieved when I'd begun to take over my family's sailing instructor role from my father, who had needed to step in to fill the job.

I sighed sadly and rubbed my eyes with the back of my hand. The thought of little Roto still brought the pain like no other and I doubted the pain would ever fully disappear. But at least that emotional agony was slowly fading and didn't become an all-consuming feeling.

But it was the guilt of my own actions leading up to Lachlan abandoning me that still remained a gaping wound. It had left me pondering about how I was treating my family; to question whether I had been doing enough to support them or had I been too dedicated to my work. And in the end, I'd been left with the determined decision to support my parents more diligently.

And then what happened?! I'd went on a sailing expedition towards my mother's homes country and was sucked into that humungous maelstrom which ship-wrecked me on Maui's island. I probably would never see my parents again, and they would never know what exactly had happened to me.

It was a blow to my moral consciousness to have left my parents in such a loop of not knowing what had happened to their only child.

 _'' I'm so sorry, mom_ ,'' I thought as I hid my face in my hand for a moment before dropping the hand to my side,'' _I'm so sorry dad.''_

'' So, what's with the crab tattoo on the back of your neck?'' Maui suddenly asked me out of the blue and I snapped my head in his direction with an incredulous expression plastered on my face.

'' Argh! Will you just give it a rest, Maui?!'' I exploded instead, which woke up the sleeping teenager who sat up in a flash, her expression shocked and confused when the demigod dissolved into hysterical laughter.

'' You guys… are... are ridiculous,'' Moana yawned out with bleary eyes.

Now it was my turn to dissolve into titters of amusement as Moana gave the pair of us an exasperated glance before scooting closer to me and laying down again, her other hand resting lightly against my knee.

She fell asleep almost immediately and I chuckled under my breath. I didn't grudge her for needing sleep. She'd looked so exhausted and I'd been asleep for a whole afternoon and night after getting shot by the Kakamora harpoon. Poor Moana must not have had much sleep between the time I'd been wounded and the moment I'd woken up.

I glanced down at my bandaged leg.

Had Moana been the one in charge of making sure the bleeding was stopped? Had she cleaned the wound and wrapped up the deep wound after I'd passed out?

 _'' Looks like Moana wasn't the only one to have forgotten to thank the other for the help. Guess we're even on that aspect,'_ ' I thought as I gently fingered the rough fibre of the bandage.

Maui had taken over the steering earlier that evening as Moana took over the job if changing my bandages. I remembered being extremely surprised when I hadn't detected any signs of infection and what more, the wound seemed to have been almost entirely scabbed over with only minimal trickles of blood in a few areas of the welt. Whatever had been used to make the healing salve it seemed to be working as well as it was, because my body had not known such natural medicine before, unlike Moana's people who had likely been on the receiving end of it since childhood

Even Moana had been surprised by how fast the wound seemed to have responded to the medicine she had packed up in her storage compartment.

I'd spent several moments holding back the flinches of pain when the teenager had slathered more of the healing salve into the cut before redressing it with clean bandages and a thicker, brace made out of coconut tree-fibre that eased the pain whenever I moved my leg.

'' She really is rather adorable for a child of what, eight?! But what I don't understand is why her village saddled her for such a dangerous quest and with such meagre wayfinding skills,'' Maui commented, drawing me out of my thoughts.

'' You heard her reasonings, Maui, none of her people had gone beyond the reef for generations and she was very likely the only one properly driven to actually do it. And she is fourteen; admittedly viewed as a teenager where I come from but by her people's reckonings she is an adult old enough to be married and for carrying out her destiny as a future chief of her village,'' I answered.

I paused for a moment to stare at the ocean horizon for a moment before looking down at Moana curled up form.

'' Though I must admit that though she is likely very capable and responsible adult in her people's eyes, I'm reminded of how much younger than me she truly is and how she hides her fears and uncertainty behind the rigid mask of a village chief's daughter expected to lead everyone one day,'' I muttered out.

'' And how old are you? During those months we spent on my island together I never had the presence of mind to ask you.'' Maui asked me as he, too, glanced at the teenager who suddenly muttered something in her sleep before going silent.

I almost wanted to give a quip that a man should never ask a woman her age but then again it would have been rather inappropriate after the very serious talk we'd just had about Moana's age.

'' Where I come from people are considered to be adults at between eighteen and twenty- one year, and I'm twenty-nine years old if I've calculated my time on your island correctly,'' I admitted with a small sigh.

Maui jerked violently in his seat and locked his brown eyes with mine in flabbergasted shock.

'' And how long do the people in your world, or time, live?'' he asked me.

'' Between sixty and a hundred and twenty years, though there are people who do die out unexpectedly way before their time. And only a handful of people actually reach the ripe old age of eighty with their minds still firmly running clear. Even with the advanced medicines being in use life is still life and us humans have short life spans.''

'' Maija, people here are lucky if they reach the ripe old age of forty- five. Though that could have changed during my time in exile for a thousand years. You look so young despite being almost thirty,'' Maui muttered out quietly.

I uttered a slight laugh to hide my shocked reaction before giving a quip.

'' Well, that quite explains why Moana is vetoed to become her peoples chief at such a young age. I'll just have to toughen up and do my best to hang to life to a ripe old age of fifty.''

The rueful smirk left my lips as Maui's expression certainly didn't morph to amusement. Instead, he did something I didn't expect, which was to reach out and pull me into a one-armed hug. His chin rested on my shoulder for a moment, his long curly hair tickling my skin before he pulled away.

His deep brown eyes stared into my own hazel-brown eyes with a serious, imploring look.

'' I'm more than aware just how fleeting a mortal's life is, Maija, so don't joke about it, okay?!''

''Sorry,'' I said in a hushed tone of voice as the demigod gently pried my fingers away from the slightly slackened grip on the rope, and oar.

The boat's movement was slowed.

'' Go rest, I need you both on high alert by the time we reach the entrance to Lalotai tomorrow afternoon at the earliest if the winds are up all night and morning,'' Maui said before I could splutter a protest of any kind.

Seeing the reasoning behind the idea of further sleep, I nodded silently and reached out to initiate a hug to Maui who immediately returned it with one arm.

This wasn't the first ever time we'd been so comfortable in hugging as friends, but it was the first time after meeting Moana on the island.

Finally, I broke away from the embrace and crawled up to the boat-deck after relocating Moana's hand from my leg.

I lay down beside the teenager so that our backs were barely touching each other and closed my eyes. But blinked them open upon feeling Moana shift and wrap her arms around me from behind.

My heart melted at the way she could so easily do this to someone who was almost a complete stranger to her.

I smiled to myself as Maui chuckled lightly under his breath.

'' Now that is adorable,'' he said quietly.

'' Haha, adorable you say?!'' I grouse out, feeling a little awkward to have someone else's child clinging on to me so trustfully but after a moment the awkwardness melted away.

Perhaps Moana was still accustomed to sleeping in the same Talan as her parents despite being viewed as an adult in her people's eyes. It very much looked like the parents of Motunui had very close relationships with their children.

I sighed again as I closed my eyes and allowed sleep to overcome me with the rocking motion of the canoe-boat.

…

 **End of Chapter 6**

 **Links:**

 **Since the 19th century, New Zealand has been dominated by** **New Zealanders of European descent** **, mainly of** **Scottish** **,** **English** **,** Welsh and Irish ancestry **, with smaller percentages of other European ancestries such as** **German** **,** **Dutch** **,** Scandinavian and **South Slavic** **.**

 **wiki/New_Zealanders**

 **Appendices:**

 **Roto** means lake in the Maori dictionary

 _ **Lachlan's**_ origin is Scottish and means 'from the fjord-land'


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7**

 _ **Disclaimer: The movie, 'Moana', is copyrighted by Walt Disney Animation Studio. It was directed by Ron Clements and John Musker and the co-directors were Don Hall and Chris William. It was released by Walt Disney Pictures in 2017.**_

 _ **I only claim copyright to the characters, and some of the elements of the story, that are of my own creation.**_

 _ **Summary: A young woman, seemingly ordinary, is deserted on an island that is void of life but is then confronted by a man who completely baffles her with his words and actions. He couldn't really be a demigod now, could he? There was no such thing as real gods. Or was she the one mistaken? Could she trust in his friendship after all the heartbreak and disappointment in her life?**_

 _ **The soundtrack for Chapter**_

...

I was woken hours later by Moana's startled cry and her flailing elbow knocking into my ribs. I stumbled into a sitting position with a strangled gasp.

'' W-what… was that for?'' I croaked breathlessly and rubbed my side.

'' Sorry, Maija, I had an awful nightmare,'' Moana apologised quickly.

'' At least she had a valid answer,'' I thought and gave the teenager a tired smile.

''Enjoy your beauty rest, kid? You know a real Wayfinder never sleeps so that they actually get to where they need to sail,'' Maui said to Moana with a teasing glint in his eyes and a smirk on his lips.

Moana scowled at him and I uttered a long sigh, brushing a hand across my face to stave off the grittiness and the fuzzy feeling in my head. I was awfully thirsty, too, but I knew our food supply was in tight supply with all four of us, including Hey Hey, on the boat and the rainwater gathered into my plastic container was dwindling, too.

I couldn't, in good conscience, ask for a small drink when Moana was very likely feeling as thirsty as me. And Maui couldn't go on forever without food and water even though he was a demigod and could go on longer without those basic human needs.

'' Would you give it a rest, Maui?! She wasn't the only girl sleeping around last night,'' I croaked out between dry lips.

Moana glanced at me a little worriedly as I stumbled to my feet and leaned against the mast to keep my injured leg off the ground. I stretched, groaning at the loud 'pop' from my spine.

'' Besides, she has the drive to become a truly great sailor and Wayfinder,'' I added as I straightened up, winking at Moana who gave me grateful smile.

'' Well you two better muscle-up, because we have arrived,'' Maui commented, waving off my defending of Moana's prowess.

I whipped around to lock my eyes upon the horizon where the island of leading to Lalotai was fast approaching.

The whole island was stacked upon rocks that were either very big or small. And there was an enormous tower-like structure that stretched upwards several hundred feet and was as flat as a board on the very top.

Though rather innocent looking at first glance, if you knew what lurked beneath the calm and serene landscape. There was a dangerous, unpredictable world underneath the surface of the sea. And I knew, from tales of Maui's prowess and adventures that a world filled with monsters lurked underneath the water.

'' You sure this guy's gonna have your hook? ''Moana asked as our boat glided across the water to dock in the shadows of the Tower like structure.

''Tamatoa? Sure he will have it! He's a scavenger that collects things that make him look cool,'' Maui answered with a grin as he hopped off the boat eagerly with the teenager on his heels.

'' And trust me, my hook makes for the coolest collectable,'' he added with a proud look on his face.

'' I can understand why it would be, with it being a Magical artefact. But why would Tamatoa want to keep something that was the cause of him losing a leg to Maui? ''I thought as I watched Moana tie the boat around the rocks.

With a grimace of slight discomfort, I stooped to open the storage hatch and grabbed my fishing rod. If Moana had used it as a weapon against the Kakamora then perhaps I'd take it along for this dangerous excursion.

I then grabbed a handful of nuts and seeds before slamming the hatch shut. I dropped the nuts and seeds in front of Hey Hey and groaned inwardly in exasperation when the cooky bird began tapping on the deck instead of the food offering.

I nudged the bird's neck to the right place with my toes.

''And he lives up there?'' Moana asked as she peered up at the towering structure landscape with an incredulous expression on her face.

''Up there? No, no, no, no! That's just the entrance to Lalotai.'' Maui answered boisterously as he began to climb the first stair structure of the tower.

''Lalotai? The Realm of monsters?'' Moana exclaimed, gulping audibly.

'' We're going to the Realm of Monsters?'' she followed in a more calmed voice.

'' We? HAH, no I am! Your place is here with the other chickens, Ba blaak!''

He made a sound that resembled a rooster's croak.

'' I RESENT THAT!'' I responded loudly in exasperation as the demigod chuckled and started making his way up the cliff-side.

Seriously, that had been a bad joke.

Maui started laughing louder over getting me riled up before urging Mini Maui to do a fist-bump with him which the 'little guy' refused to do, much to my personal satisfaction.

''Oh come on, it was a good one! How do you not get it? I called her a chicken and there is a chicken on the boat. I know she's human. You know what forget it, forget it! I'm not explaining it to you,'' Maui exclaimed as he began climbing higher up the stone tower.

His voice had become fainter and fainter as he'd moved higher and higher, still arguing with the tattoo of himself.

'' Why? Because then it's not funny,'' Maui's voice snapped out to his mini counterpart.

I shook my head at the arguing pair before turning to Moana who was looking at me contemplatively.

'' Did you know we were going to enter the Realm of Monsters?'' she asked me after a moment.

'' I did, yes,'' I answered her truthfully.

'' Then why didn't you warn me about what dangers lay ahead of us?'' Moana answered with a frown on her face.

'' I'm not sure, maybe I had other thoughts on my mind. I'm sorry,'' I answered with an apology in my voice and expression,

I rubbed the back of my neck in embarrassment.

'' Anyway, you want to stay by the boat? It would be safer,'' I continued sheepishly.

Moana glanced back at the boat and I followed where her eyes had strayed.

Hey Hey had abandoned the seeds and nuts and was tapping on the wood of the boat with a befuddled glint in his eyes.

I groaned and dragged a hand across my face.

'' What's up with him, seriously?'' I muttered to Moana who shared an exasperated glance before mustering up her courage to hurry her steps towards the towering stone structure.

'' I should have realized she wouldn't be teetered by even this arduous climb,'' I thought to myself as I made my way to the wall of the tower, hardening my own resolve for the climb.

I placed my hands and feet on the stone and pushed off the ground, thankful I'd been a climber of trees and masts in my childhood. It was only the matter of placing your hands and feet into the right crevices and ledges. And, of course, to be cautious.

'' What in God's creation are you doing?''

I jumped violently at the sudden question but did not lose my hold on the rocks. I looked up to see Maui looking down at me from his perch on a ledge above me.

'' I'm climbing, what else does this look like to you?! And I want to make sure you don't decide to abandon Moana in the caverns of Lalotai where the bloodthirsty monsters have their homes,'' I answered sarcastically.

'' Not that she, and you, would ever decide to take the plunge down there,'' Maui muttered under his breath, though I still heard him.

'' As for the climbing part of the deal, what are you thinking? Your leg...,''

'' My leg is healing,'' I told him rather snappishly, pulling myself onto the same ledge as the demigod.

'' I can… WHOA!''

Maui had pulled me up onto his shoulders with an easy, quick movement of his hands. I squealed rather ungracefully and clung to the sides of Maui's head with my palms as he whirled around and began following Moana who had paused to observe our conversation with barely hidden amusement.

'' Women, you are all the same,'' Maui muttered,'' going headlong into trouble all the time.''

'' Oh, really now, Maui?! You and Moana are the trouble beacons here and besides, I'm coming along to make sure you actually get back that hook,' I retorted, tugging at his ears lightly which had him utter a grunt of annoyance.

'' Like you can stand a change against that gargantuan bottom-feeder,'' Maui muttered under his breath.

I pursed my lips and uttered an annoyed whistle through my teeth even as the demigod turned his attention to Moana, saying,'' so, chief's daughter I thought you would have stayed in the village. You know, to kiss babies and do other things.''

Moana gave the demigod one of her many glares before turning around and continuing her climb to the top.

''Hey, hey, hey I'm just trying to understand why your people decided to send… how should I phrase this?! You? '' Maui said as he jumped onto another ledge with such casualness that I almost screeched at him to keep his hands and legs on the rocks at all times.

'' My people didn't send me, the ocean did,'' Moana answered with brightness in her voice.

''The ocean? Makes sense, you're what, eight?! And you can't sail, so it's an obvious choice,'' Maui pointed out sarcastically as he paused in a very dangerous stance with only one hand holding on to the stone and the other leg extended over the drop to the ocean that must have been two hundred feet from where the demigod was standing.

'' Gods, just hold onto the ledge, Maui,'' I thought nervously as I tried to squash the urge to box the guy's ears for his acrobatics.

'' If the ocean is so smart, why didn't it take the heart back to Te Fiti itself? Or, bring me my hook?'' Maui continued.

Now that was actually a good question. Why hadn't the other gods attempted to find the heart and return it to one of their own? Was there something else to it, like a retribution needed from the mortal people for things to be brought back to rights? But we mortal folk hadn't been responsible for what Maui had decided on his own. Or were the mortals somehow the catalyst in pushing Maui into sailing to Te Fiti's island in the first place?

Moana paused in her climb. She looked unsure and thoughtful.

Maui made his stance even more dangerous when he leaned back on one foot planted into a crevice and straightened the arm holding on to the platform.

'' The ocean is straight-up cooky-dooks!'' Maui hollered down to the said ocean.

'' You are the cooky- dooks! Get your hands back onto the ledge or I'll strangle you with my fishing rod,'' I finally snapped out, my throat tight from anxiousness at being suspended over such a big drop.

Maui just laughed at my frightened voice and how I was now clinging to him so tightly.

'' You were the one who decided to climb up onto the ledge, so hey, face the consequences.''

'' When, and if, I get out of this adventure alive I'll thank the gods for having been able to put up with your antics,'' I retorted through clenched teeth.

Maui just laughed at me, before making a great leap to the last ledge and then to the tower-top which had me utter another startled sound.

What I saw, once I'd calmed down a little, was years upon years of dust gathered on top the flat surface of the tower. It left the place looked desolate, and without any noticeable sign of an entrance to the Realm of Monsters.

Moana was standing by the edge of the tower staring down at the deep, dark, and mysterious ocean way down below.

The ocean seemed calm and serene at the surface. It glistened in the sunlight, but underneath it lay a mysterious and dangerous world.

'' I don't know why the ocean chose me, but it must have had a reason,'' Moana spoke reverently like she was speaking just to herself.

'' If you are gonna sing now, I'm gonna throw up,'' Maui spoke up sarcastically as he lumbered his way to the middle of the tower.

I just sighed, and the teenager uttered an exasperated groan and turned to face Maui and me.

'' Well, I see no entrance. Did you bring us all the way up here for nothing?''

'' Oh, there is an entrance,'' Maui answered,'' but then again it only opens once it's offered a human sacrifice.''

Moana flinched backwards when the demigod took on an ominous pose and took a step forward.

I yanked hard at Maui's ears, making him pause and eliciting a pained 'OW' from him.

An exasperated sound escaped my teeth as I let go moments later. I'd known all along that he was just joking around. Again, I might add, and it grated on me that he wouldn't take things seriously for once.

'' I WAS KIDDING! So serious, you two!'' Maui exclaimed, jumping into a more straightened pose with his hands on his hips.

'' And you, are a trickster through and through. Why won't you just take things seriously for o... ?'' I retorted in utter exasperation,''

I was interrupted by Maui taking a deep breath and releasing it in a great, billowing gust of air that pushed all the accumulated dust into the air.

It left Moana and I coughing up a storm when all that dry earth invaded our nostrils and mouth.

But once the dust settled the pair of us mortals could see the gargantuan, face like a sculpture on the smooth surface of the stone.

'' The entrance to Lalotai does exist,'' Moana breathed out in wide-eyed wonder and shock.

'' Yeah, it is real,'' I whispered in slight awe but also dread.

'' So how did you like the revealing, eh?' Guite impressive, ain't it?'' Maui interrupted Moana's and my moment of mutual dread.

'' Ooh, very impressive, but can you tell us whether that billowing gust would have been just as impressive as you' pass wind?'' I answered with a playful smirk sliding into place.

'' HAH HAH HAH... mmmpphhahhahhah!''

I turned my joking grin on the young future chief of Motunui who was desperately trying to suppress her laughter behind her hand.

Mini Maui had no scruples over showing how much the sentence had amused him. He was on the ground laughing silently and banging a fist on the surface of the skin of his counterpart.

Maui was looking up into my face as I leaned forward, leaning my lower arms against the top his head.

'' I'm so not amused, '' the demigod said blandly.

'' Oh, come on now, Maui, the joke was right there. I just had to take it, and you put your foot in your mouth with your earlier tricks. So face the consequences,'' I giggled out at the disgruntled expression on his face.

I added the last part with a fake-low voice that had Moana burst out into renewed laughter.

'' You've long extended your lift, '' Maui grunted and lifted me off his shoulders by sliding both hands under my armpits.

He plopped me onto the ground to face him, but I couldn't stifle the small smirk still twitching on my lips.

'' You might want to find another place to stand, sweetheart,'' Maui told me and I raised my eyebrow at his words.

Maui moved into a sudden haka stance, his hands and feet moving rapidly as he chanted whatever galvanizing sentence it needed to open the entrance to Lalotai.

The suddenness of his bellow had me flinch backwards from him.

'' HEE!''

'' Whoa!'' I breathed out and stumbled backwards as the demigod leapt high up into the air, did a twirl midair and landed back on the stone with a crashing sound.

His fists struck the jutting stone, that looked like a round nose on the sculpture's face, with such force it would have shattered an ordinary mortal's bones.

My heart began to beat wildly in my chest when an immediate, ominous crunching and grinding noise was heard coming from underneath my feet.

The middle of the sculpture began to split apart, the two stone slabs retreating backwards to reveal an entirely round entrance, like a deep well inside the tower.

I felt hands grab me from behind and pull me backwards. It had been Moana, who was standing just behind me.

Now the pair of us were gaping down the huge well like entrance that went down about two hundred feet and ended in a shimmering liquid that could have been swirling water way down there.

'' Don't worry, it's a lot further down than it looks.'' Maui's wry voice cut through our shock,'

I couldn't help but splutter at the guy's lame assurance to make Moana and I feel better about the situation.

'' CHHEEEHOOO!'' Maui hollered and jumped cannonball-style into the round opening without even the slightest bit of hesitation whatsoever.

'' Can you believe the guy?!'' Moana mouthed to me just as we heard the demigod's holler of, '' I'm still FALLIIINNNGGG!''

I shared a helpless glance with the teenager before she brushed her hair from her face with a determined air to her, took a few steps backwards and muttered, '' I can do this! I CAN do this, GO!'

And then she jumped into the abyss without any hesitation at all and I was left standing there on my lonesome, with the entrance slabs vibrating beneath me as if ready to close. But it was like the stone could feel that there was one last mortal to be offered to the hungry mouths of Lalotai monsters. So it waited for my decision.

'' Come hell or high water,'' I muttered, bending my knees,'' I'll follow them to whatever end. Oh, what are you thinking girl, you must be out of your MIIINNNDDDDDD!''

My holler continued throughout the fall, my ears almost missing the heavy, echoing thud of the entrance closing above me.

The drop seemed to go on forever until my feet broke through the surface of the shimmery liquid and I had a second to take in a breath and hold it before I went under completely.

My descent continued underwater through what looked like a swirling underwater vortex.

'' Oh no, not another maelstrom,'' I groaned inwardly and closed my eyes, not wanting to see the damn thing around me throughout the descent.

SPLASH

My eyes flew open when I felt my feet once again break through another surface and I heaved in a lungful of much-needed air.

But now I was facing a free-fall from a great height.

'' OH MY GREAT GODS!'' I shrieked as I fell through the air, desperately searching for something to hold onto and halt my uncontrolled descent into Lalotai.

And I found it in the form of a strong looking patch of vines coming closer and closer.

I made a desperate lunge for the nearest vine and snagged it, but it elongated with the force of my fall. I let go as soon as I was close enough to the ground. I certainly didn't want to be pulled upwards again like I were some sort of bungee jumper.

Unfortunately, I was tossed off balance and straight into the middle of a patch of different sized, shaped and brightly coloured corals. I hissed in pain when a few snagged at my knees, arms and hands. I recovered quickly from the stings but sunk to my knees when my previously wounded thigh buckled under me.

'' OUCH,'' I thought, breath hitching slightly as I hid amidst the large coral patch and leant my back against a massive Queen's conch. The shell was much bigger than the ones up where people lived.

I looked from one direction to another, trying to spot the location of either Maui, or Moana, but I couldn't spot either of them from where I was hidden.

'' Well, ain't this just absolutely perfect,'' I thought, sinking back to lean more heavily against the conch-shell.

But then just moments later I felt an impressively strong shove against my lower back and an angry voice cried out,'' Get off me whoever you are!''

I practically sprang to my feet and backpedalled away from the talking-shell, but stayed in the safety of the patch of high coral. My heart was in my throat, as the voice had given me one of the biggest shocks of my life.

And now I was in the presence of one of the monsters of Lalotai.

What kind of creature had spoken? Was it the giant snail that lived in Queen conch shells?

Out here in the realm of monsters, they could very well be carnivorous, not herbivores.

Then the earth began to shift right in front of my eyes, and I watched on, heart hammering against my ribcage...

End Of Chapter 7


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